The Nightingale Girls(and Guy)
by LeapinLlama
Summary: Four teenage novices start their first year at the Ravenwood Academy of Magical Arts in a time of darkness, where the former professor of the Death School vanished and left Wizard City in undead chaos. These four young wizards take up the quest to save Wizard City, and ultimately, the whole Spiral.
1. 1 - A Call to the Headmaster

It has been three days since the new boy moved into the Girls' Dormitory. Mostly everyone stopped talking about it and/or stopped visiting the infirmary for nosebleeds. His only friends then were his roommates, Nic, Scarlet, and Morgan. He'd always make breakfast for his friends and even sneak in some midnight ice cream for whoever felt down, couldn't sleep, or was up to their shoulders in papers. It wasn't out of love interests or whatnot, but because they were his first friends in his life.

"I still think he's a perv," Scarlet put blatantly.

"Which is why he is so nice to us?" Nicole cutely asked as she nibbled on a spoon of ice cream.

"Actually…" Morgan tried at her words, but lost hold of them as her friends stared at her for her interruption.

"Morg, don't tell me you actually like him," Scarlet scoffed.

"N-No! Besides, you're the one who passed out of a nosebleed when she saw Adrian taking his shirt off."

"W-Well it was only n-natural!"

Nicole finished her spoon of ice cream then licked her lips clean. "I still haven't shown him my Sunken City," she whined.

Scarlet chuckles, switching her attention elsewhere. "Please don't say that. It sounds weird."

"It is weird!" Nic replied cheerfully.

"Isn't Sunken City some myth?" Morgan mumbled.

"Noooope! I got a fun assignment with my classmate Marla to uncover the curtains on if Sunken City and the legend of Grubb really is true!" Nicole smiles in excitement, but then quickly loses it. "We're still finding Sunken City, though. S'posed to be dangerous and spooky!"

Scarlet simply blinked out of being weirded out. "Nic."

"Yeah?"

"You're too bright and sweet to be in the Death School."

"Yay!" Nicole bounced in her bed, but quickly stopped to keep her ice cream from spilling. "Oops."

"Wait, so what did you mean by wanting to show Adrian your~" Scarlet clears her throat. "Your Sunken City?"

"Hehe! Always fun to play there!"

"But you said you're still finding the place," Morgan pointed out.

"I like to play in Sunken City! I've only done so with myself at night. I want Adrian to join too! Oooh! It can be a foursome with you guys!"

"Nic, you're scaring me," Scarlet said.

Nicole raised her bowl with joy. "More ice cream!"

"No." Scarlet and Morgan blurted out.

"I found it!" Adrian popped out of a pile of laundry, holding up a few papers.

Morgan and Scarlet's eyes widen at Adrian's surprise entrance while Nicole scrambled up and hugged onto his arm, chanting for more ice cream.

Morgan looked around nervously then to Adrian, staring at the skirt that rested on his head. "Adrie, how long were you there?"

"Uuuuh, ten minutes I think. It was warm, so I almost forgot why I was even there in the first place," Adrian put innocently.

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN MY UNDERWEAR?"Scarlet shrieked.

Nicole looked around, and then bounced on her knees, holding up a corset. "I wanna be in Scarlet's underwear! Ice cream!"

"Put that down!" Scarlet demanded.

"The old man wanted us in his office." Adrian held the paper up to Morgan, showing it was actually a letter.

Morgan blushed to see Adrian, and her hands hesitantly went for the letter (or just his hand), but Scarlet swiped it away furiously then brought it to her eyes. She quickly skimmed through the body of writing.

"Report to… regarding concerns… rampant undead… Unicorn- UNICORN WAY?"

"What's that?" Adrian asked, looking to Morgan's hand, then shakes the skirt off his head.

"U-Unicorn Way is closed off to students because of its dangerous streets!" Scarlet explained in distress. "What does the Headmaster want with us and that street?"

"Fun!" Nicole piped up.

"Not fun!" Scarlet snapped. "Morgan!" She held the letter up to her face. "Do you know what this means?"

"Th-That we get to go with Adrian?" Morgan stammered.

"That we'll probably have to walk on that deadly street- Wait, what was that about Adrian? And you already nicknamed him Adrie! So you do like him!"

"I do not!"

Adrian blinked in naivety. "I thought you guys did like me. We're friends."

Nicole nudged Adrian with her elbow. "Naw, she likes you on a higher level."

"I do not like Adrie!" Morgan stated sternly.

"See, ya nicknamed him," Nic pointed out.

After waiting impatiently with a popped vein, Scarlet raised her voice. "Would you all just shut up?"

Sure enough, everyone shut up and looked to her. Nicole raised her glass bowl.

"Ice cream!"

Scarlet throws a bag of chocolate humongofrogs at Nicole, making her flinch and fall back on Morgan, making Morgan lean on Adrian, which makes her blush grow into a hot, fire elf red.

Scarlet huffs, then taps on the bed frame for attention. "Look, the headmaster is going to want us to go to Unicorn Way, and we all know the place is dangerous. Guys, we're actually going to fight with our wands, against undead, not students! We have to prepare ourselves."

Morgan looked up to Adrian from his arms, then scrambles to sit up straight. "W-Wait, we don't even know if Adrian can fight or not."

Nicole's hands brings up Adrian shirt, exposing his well-toned abs. "Whaddya mean he can't fight? Look at these! It's practically like a minotaur! Okay, no. Not that much. But this means he can throw a punch."

The blush on Morgan burned to its brightest, while blood started to drip down Scarlet's nose.

Adrian raised a finger. "Actually, I think these abs were just from running away from the Scotland Yard. Plus, I can fight. Didn't you see it for yourself, Nicole? When the Malorn guy asked to show our summoning skills?"

"Oh yeah!" Nicole remembered. "He made a skeletal snake covered in ice!"

"A skeletal snake…" Scarlet thought aloud. "Anyways, so we know he can fight, and we know Nicole can too. What about you Morg?"

Her eyes widened on the spot as her name was pointed out. "U-Uh, yeah! I can f-fight. I can summon a minotaur. Treasure card."

Scarlet grinned and clapped. "Great! Now come on! We have to dress up and report to the headmaster! And Adrian, get out of my underwear, you pervert!"

Confused, Adrian asked, "What's a pervert?"


	2. 2 - A Plan For Unicorn Way

Scarlet's eyes kept its attention to the letter as she and her friends came out of the tunnel, continuing on through the quiet Commons in the morning.

"Left." Nicole directed.

The red-clothed girl sidestepped to the left, avoiding a bypasser as she kept reading, careful to not miss a detail.

"Left." Nicole repeated.

Morgan and Adrian stepped back to let Scarlet shift to the left.

Morgan stretched her neck over Scarlet's shoulder, walking gracefully on her tip-toes. "Anything else, Scarlet?"

She simply hummed in response, still reading over the parchment. "No."

She folded up the letter and handed it to Adrian, which he clumsily let it float around his arms, until he caught it with his lips. Morgan slightly giggled to herself, careful not to let the others hear her, especially Nicole, or she would laugh loudly along. Speaking of Nicole, she looked over to her necromancer friend, seeing that Nicole was whistling and walking with a bounce in the step, not really getting the weight of the situation. The four's feet led them through the door of the Headmaster's house-slash-office. Scarlet goes up to knock, and a voice of an old man answers.

"It's unlocked! Come in! Come in!"

Instead of an orderly workspace, the four young wizards come into the house to found a blue, starry hat moving around a wall of white papers.

"Uuuhh…" Scarlet's knuckles batted the door for the headmaster. "Mister Ambrose?"

The blue hat stopped in place. It turned and twisted frantically, and then the wall of papers collapsed, revealing an old, bearded mage with a nicely trimmed, but curled, white beard, and a monocle replacing his right eye.

"Oh dear," the aged wizard complained. "A-Ah, yes. The girls of the Violet Nightingale House. Please, come in, come in."

As they stepped in, Nicole jumped up and raised her hand. "Ooh! Pick me! Pick me!"

The Headmaster, Merle Ambrose, seemed confuzzled. He looked around, then points at Nicole with uncertainty. "Yes, young wizard?"

Nicole jumps like a chippered chipmunk as she gets called on. "Girls and boy of the Violet Nightingale House!"

She points to her silver-haired friend.

"See?"

"Aha, my apologies, young wizard," Ambrose chuckled.

The old man then catches a cascading paper, and tossed it aside.

"Ah yes, the Pigswick transfer student who was forced to be placed in the girls' dormitory. I am terribly sorry, but it was all we could do."

Adrian looked the other way and shrugged. "I don't really get why they separate girls and guys but oh well."

Merle Ambrose stared at the boy out of intrigue, only to have his watch of him blocked out by Nicole's rear.

"Ooh! Ooh! Adrian! You went to Pigswick?" Nicole's eyes were all on Adrian's, which made him a bit creeped out. His friends also turned to him for his reason.

Ambrose stroked his beard. "Ah yes, why did you transfer? I have never heard from Mister Lincoln about it."

Adrian's head switched from left to right to forward, then his hand went behind his neck as he forced a laugh.

"Eheh, well Pigswick's magics are too… 'domestic' for me. I wanted to learn more about combative magic, and that's when I found out about Ravenwood."

Morgan twitched at her fingers for the right words. "G-Glad you chose Ravenwood over Pigswick, Adrian."

He gave Morgan a smile. "Oh, thanks!"

Morgan smiled back with hope, only to lose it when Scarlet smirked over her shoulder at Morgan, while Nicole blushed and smiled creepily, excited for the growth of a potential love story. Luckily, Ambrose interrupted them.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Morgan-" His words stopped as he was about to add more to her name, then he simply shook it off. "Anywho, I trust you lot know the reason of this meeting."

Scarlet's fingers went for the letter in Adrian's hand, then brings it up to the Headmaster.

"Yes, the Unicorn Way problem. But sir, if I may ask."

"Go ahead, young wizard. I'm sorry, what is your name? You three have similar hair, so it is indeed hard to tell apart."

"I-I'm Scarlet Night, sir. We've met before? Anyways, why us? Why should we go to Unicorn Way? It's very dangerous there as you yourself said."

Merle adjusted his monocle and fiddled with his staff. "Ah well, all the other higher ranking wizards have important… um, affairs at other parts of Wizard City. As you know, if the Death School fell out of sight, then something is afoot in this world. So many other wizards are sent to handle these incidents."

Scarlet huffed. "Excuse me sir, but still, to send novices to a dangerous street…"

"Scarlet, dear; you, and your friends are the strongest among the novices."

She remained silent, and then Morgan spoke up. "Mister Ambrose, sir! Adrian has only been here for three days. He has only started his introductions to his classes. Why him as well?"

Adrian blinked at her concern, then to Ambrose again.

The eldered man placed a hand on Morgan's shoulder. "It is good that you worry about your fellow wizard, Morgan. But among all of you, Adrian is the strongest."

"E-Eh?" Adrian stammered, not wanting attention.

"Yes… He has learned and advanced a lot in his studies at Pigswick. From his reports, he has even made his own magics. Elemental polymorph, self-transmutation, magic fusion, mana infusion, a skillset relying on his rather high metabolism and pure elemental magic…Even starting to learn necromancy… Fascinating."

Adrian's friends gaped at him, making him wave his hand in awkwardness. "Uh, h-hi." He looked around nervously then raised a finger. "Headmaster, those techniques… I developed.. uh… it's very risky and straining on me, so to sum it up, I am still only a low level wizard… equivalent to my friends…"

Ambrose gave him a look of concern. "I see… Then I'll calculate it again… The survival rate of you young wizards is now… 40%."

The girls' eyes widened at the astonishing outcome, except for Nicole. She jumps with joy. "Oooh! Ooh! So lower chances for survival, more fun!"

Then all of the people in the room turned to Nicole, who was bathing herself in eager anticipation.

Scarlet mumbled quietly to Morgan. "I can see why she's a necromancer…"

The headmaster waved for the students' attention. "Do not fret, young wizards. Take these." He handed out runes, the size of biscuits, to the novices. "These are teleportation units. If you are ever in danger, these will take you back to the safety of the Commons. However, these are the last set, so be wise in using these."

Her throat swallowed her fear as Scarlet reluctantly took one of the runes. "C-Consider the quest done, sir."

Nicole and Morgan looked at each other then followed her example, followed by Adrian. Merle tried to make an ensuring grin for his students.

"Do not worry, young ones. You will indeed make it." He hands a letter with a wax seal to Scarlet. "Please deliver this letter to Private Stillson. He will let you through."

Morgan hesitantly tried her voice. "Sir, we heard of Unicorn Way, b-but we don't know the directions to the street."

Ambrose patted Morgan's mantle, and casts a yellow spell on the ground, making a hovering golden arrow. "You can use the yellow quest helper spell to guide you there." He hands a bronze spell card to Morgan.

"As a token of my thanks and good luck."

Morgan blinked at the card as she let it fall in her hand. Quickly, she slipped it into her spellbook.

"Thank you, Headmaster Ambrose."

The old man nodded his head as the four set off and out the door. As Adrian took a step out, he felt a force tug at his family crested cape. He turned to see Ambrose holding at his cape, still in his original position, with a telekinesis spell. He curled his finger at Adrian and sure enough, he stepped back to the Headmaster. Merle pulled up his tunic, revealing his abdomen. It was tattooed- no. It was branded with runes and transmutation circles on his left side.

"This," Ambrose marvels, "Where did you learn these?"

Adrian gave him a half-hostile look. "I developed these for myself. And what do you mean 'where did I learn it?'"

Ambrose returned the glare. "These are of forbidden magics. A lunar therianthropy circle and an ancient human transmutation circle. It is no wonder you can polymorph without using astral spells."

"Astral… spells?"

"I tell you, Adrian Faulkner Kensington, do not use these, for the sake of your life and mind."

Adrian shot him a bitter look. "I made and invented these diagrams, for power. You don't need to tell me what I can't and can do. Can an inventor not use his own creations?"

"You rediscovered these magics. I already lost a student to the dangers of powerlust. Do not let it happen to you."

He swiped the Headmaster's hand away from his side and put down his shirt. "I am doing this to fulfill my convictions. I am not letting you get in the way of my fight. This is Marleybone's affairs-"

He stops himself, but Merle has heard enough.

"I see. Then I pray that you do not fall to darkness."

Adrian regarded Ambrose's concerned eyes, and then managed a smile.

"Don't worry." He turns his watch to out the door, watching his friends walk away. "I also want get stronger to protect my friends."

"These first friends I've ever had."


	3. 3 - A New Comrade

"NONE SHALL PASS! UNICORN WAY IS OFF LIMITS! THERE ARE GHOSTS EVERYWHERE!"

After a few seconds, Scarlet's fingers finally unplugged out of her ear.

"Well, isn't he loud?"

She rolls her eyes and stops in front of the guard and the Unicorn Way tunnel entrance. "Private Stillson, am I wrong?"

The guard eyes the blonde girl, only to goggle at a wax-sealed letter all cross-eyed at the next second.

Stillson straightens his back. "Seems legit. I'll let you through. Mind the ghosts."

He inserts his spear into a strange hole next to the tunnel entrance, and the gate lifts open. As he pulls the spear tip out, it leaves a glittering trail.

Morgan notices the sparkles and speaks up. "The spear… a magic key?"

The guard blinks at Morgan, but his face is kept straight. "Professor Drake is it? I'll make note to him of your precise eyes…"

His words waver, waiting for her name.

"It's Morgan… sir. Morgan Mistblade: novice conjurer."

"Alright then," the guard confirms. "Off you wizards go. To think the Headmaster is desperate to send novices to this street… Then again, we're only privates…"

His head stoops low and Morgan can't help but notice. "Sir… Are you alright?"

The guard lets go of his vigilant stance. "My daughter lives on this street… surrounded by skeletal pirates. I heard rumors that her house was broken into, yet, I have to stand this post. I said I'll be coming back, but it has been weeks. She only has me, you know?"

Morg lays her sympathetic, blue eyes on the guard. "We'll be sure to check if she's okay."

The guard smiles with relief. "Connie lives 3 blocks down the north street of Unicorn Way, in a red and yellow roofed house."

"Connie is it?" Scarlet asked. "She'll be fine. Don't worry."

Nicole giggles in the dark, really ruining the tense air, then watches the lamps hung on the stone-laden walls of the tunnels. Soon, the four reaches sunlight. Everything seems fine. Everything was sunny and butterflies floated around the brushes and flowers. Their steps were on tan cobblestones that were laid out on a large, circular cul-de-sac. On their right was a unicorn man with a sharp-pointed sabre.

Morgan watches the half-creature. He was like Teacher Moolinda or Mister Lincoln, only half-unicorn. "That person, he must be the duelmaster, Diego. Aaand that behind him must be the Arena-"

"Come on, Morg!" Scarlet slapped her back. "Not the time for sightseeing!"

Morgan rubs her back and slides aside her blonde hair out of the way. "Owowow…. O-Okay. You didn't have to hit so hard…"

The four walked passed by a theurgist, who seemed busy in his own thing, and past an old woman, half-frightened as she passed by with some laundry. The young wizards find their selves on the sidewalk of another cul-de-sac, to see ghosts. Off in the opposite side of the street, a guard approached a ghost, attempting to pierce its ghostly white clothes, but it was no good. Agitated, the ghost rushed through the guard, making him pass out.

"Oookay, so don't let the curtains go through you." Nicole gaped. "Got it."

Scarlet carefully stepped up to the crowd of ghosts and pulled out her wand. The spirits notices her and they seem to take a defensive stance. Immediately, a ghost darts toward her and Scarlet's arm wave around angrily, drawing a fire rune with her wand.

"Fire spell: Will of the Wisp!"

The rune bursts into a bunch of embers, scattering and focusing on the ghost, deflecting the soul off its course in a hot gust of embers, and soon disintegrates it into white smoke. She turns to her friends.

"See? I guess it shouldn't be so hard after all-"

"Watch out, you idiot!"

Adrian disappears from his friends, speeding up to Scarlet's side and his wand glows. Quickly, he swipes the baton up, and a wall of dense cold air and snow follows. The ghosts sped into the shield and bounced off. They shook their heads out of the stars and retreated to their pack.

"Fast…" Scarlet stood wide eyed behind her thaumaturgic friend. "Adrian, how did you-"

Her words came to a halt as Nicole jumped overhead.

"COME GET SOME, SUCKAAAS!"

Her arms twirled a wooden staff above her as she was airborne.

"Soul Weaving: Ghouls!"

As she lands, she slams the bottom of her staff into the pavement, crackling the street around her. Hands burst out of the ground and rotted men in torn, but fine, dirtied suits, dug out through the cobblestone as if it was fragile cookies. The zombies readied themselves with spades as their bodies were refilled with youthful life, and charged toward the lost souls. The kept swiping at the floating white sheets away, until the spirits floated into non-existence. However, it was only four undead versus a hovering mob of ghosts. It wasn't long until they we're consumed by the spirits.

"Finnian! Preston!" Nicole reached helplessly for her zombies.

_Eh? She named them?_ Scarlet thought.

A bit aggravated, Nicole swiped her staff and spun it. A death rune drew itself in front of her and a swarm of fifteen or so dark sprites appeared in violet sparkle dust. She twirled her scepter and it froze in place as she pointed it at the ghosts.

"Super Sprite Squad! Goooo!"

At her command, the sprites darted around individual ghosts, making them dizzy and their forms faded a bit.

Taking advantage of the situation, Adrian slipped his wand into his sleeve and his hands began to glow with an azure aura. He hastens to the dazed ghosts, swiping at them from a short distance, then a torrent of ice and snow followed his hand movements. With each strike, Adrian let out a fighting sound, like he was battling in hand-to-hand combat, something a wizard wouldn't do.

Scarlet watched Adrian's movements intently. "Is he… really a wizard?"

As Nicole and Adrian paired up to fight the crowd, a murder of ghosts broke off from the group and jetted towards Morgan. She stumbled to take out her wand and drew a myth rune.

"Dream Weaving: Blood Bats!"

She tapped the rune with her wand but it simply fizzles out. Frantically, she keeps waving her baton.

"Bats! Bats! Blood bats!"

The ghost rushed closer to her at a dangerous velocity and Scarlet's wand was raised in Morgan's direction, glowing in a yellow light. "MORGAN!"

Scarlet's spell cast was interrupted as an immense figure appeared from Morgan's wand, landing onto the grass with a large thud. It was burly and muscular. Deformed, its back was hunched, and its skin was pale. Its head was covered in a tattered brown hood, and it wore a torn cloak of the same color. The spirits stopped dead in their tracks in caution as the hunchback let out a tense huff of air.

"Wh-What?" Morgan looked at her creation with half fear and half astonishment, refusing to acknowledge her ability.

The hunchback charged toward the ghosts, its steps cracking the ground. Soon, he changes to running on all fours. The creature swipes at the ghosts furiously and takes one soul by the neck and smashes it into the ground. Nicole and Adrian watched the creature devastate the crowd of ghosts in horror, until Nicole squirmed around and hugged onto Adrian.

"He's so cute!" Nicole squealed.

The last ghost disappeared in the beast's hand, but he wasn't done. There was still one remaining soul, wandering not far away from Morgan, circling near a gazebo in the park. He stampedes in the lone ghost's direction. Morgan then notices something, and then switches to the charging creature.

Morgan called out. "Hunchback! Stop!"

Yet, he does not stop.

"Hunchback! You! Stooop!"

She digs around in her mind for the right words.

"Mudge! I tell you, stop!"

The creature ceases to attack, its hand just a step away from the unnoticing soul.

"I can hear it," Morgan breathed.

Her friends joined Morgan, panting as they arrive.

"Morgan!" Scarlet called. "What's going on? Why did he stop? What is that big thing?"

"I can hear it."

Scarlet and the others looked at her weirdly. "What?"

Morgan points at the lone ghost as it moans and wanders in front of the hunchback, mumbling with a girl's voice.

"Lonely…. Dad… It's lonely… Come back…."

The conjurer watches the ghost and slowly stands up, coming closer to the soul. Softly, Morgan calls out to the ghost, "Connie?"

The ghost finally notices Morgan. "Dad?"

Morgan stammers. "N-No?"

The soul of Connie takes a hostile stance. "Dad… What did you do with dad?"

Morgan speaks again, humbling the spirit. "Your father is safe… He's always waiting to come back. Don't worry, come with me. I can take you to him…"

Connie approaches Morgan cautiously as Morgan pulls out a flask. The ghost reaches out for Morgan's hand and is sucked into a wisp in her palm. Gently, Morgan guides the wisp into the flask and screws it shut with a cork. She then turns to her friends.

"Guys… Her soul and body are still connected by her spirit. She can still become alive again."

Scarlet's hands wrap around the flask as she takes it up to her eyes.

"Then, her body must be at the house Private Stillson mentioned."

Morgan nods in agreement, but is surprised as the hunchback pokes at her. Scarlet and Adrian's eyes widen at the large figure, but the hunchback's attention stuck on Morgan.

"You, girl. You summoned me. You gave me a name… What was it?"

Morgan's blue eyes calmed and she tries to remember. "M-Mudge."

"Mudge…" the hunchback repeated.

"Have you… Do you have a name?" Morgan asks.

The hunchback looked down at her clothes then to her wand, and back at her face.

"I was nameless. My previous masters only referred to me as hunchback, or beast, or thing."

"Your previous masters? Where are they now?"

The hunchback stared down Morgan with a grim look.

"Dead. They refuse to acknowledge me, and so I refuse to acknowledge them."

Morgan's eyes shook at Mudge's words of death, and the hunchback became irked.

"And are you also scared of me?"

Instead of saying anything, she wrapped her embrace around one of Mudge's arms, hugging onto him with warmth.

"Mudge… Even if they did call you things you didn't like, you can't kill those that don't deserve it."

The hunchback was dumbfounded by Morgan's surprising reaction, along with her friends, except for Nicole, who just went, "D'aaaaw!"

Mudge froze still as Morgan hugged onto him. In return, he awkwardly pats on her head.

"Then I will do so as you wish… And I will protect you until the end, because you acknowledged me."

"No," Morgan mumbled.

The hunchback raised a brow. "No?"

She unburies her face from Mudge's burly arm and looks up to him. "No, I don't acknowledge you. You are my friend. And as you take care and protect me, I will do the same."

Mudge stayed silent, astonished at her words. Finally he spoke.

"Thank you… my lady."


	4. 4 - Fairies Wear Boots

"You, the silver-haired kid."

Adrian looks around then answers Mudge nervously. "Eh? Me?"

"Yes… you." The hunchback approaches the wizard, meeting him face to face. "….Your voice. It is higher than other human males. It is new to me."

"Now that you mention it~" Scarlet puts a finger under Adrian's chin, lifting his head up to take a look at the crook of his neck. "His voice is higher than the others."

"Eheh… Yeah, a low tenor to countertenor. " Adrian rubs his neck. "I can also sound like a girl if I try."

Nicole pounces on Adrian, hugging onto his neck lovingly. "Oooh! Oooh! Do me!"

Adrian stumbles around for a bit, trying to pry on Nicole's arms. After unclamping his throat free of her tightness, he begins to speak in a near-perfect voice of Nicole. "Hiya! I'm Nicole! I like pastries and ice cream! Uuuuh, Scarlet's panties!"

Crimson blood streams from Scarlet's nose as she pulls up a sleeve. "WHAT?"

Nicole hugs onto Adrian tighter, only to make Morgan's arms raise for Adrian, as Nicole squeals with delight with a bright smile.

"That's right! I stole Scarly's panties! But how'dja know, Adrian? Are you a wizard? Oh wait, we are wizards!"

She continues to laugh while Scarlet's anger slowly faded into a questioning demeanor, but her blush still burned brightly.

"I… what?" Scarlet's hand seemed to speak for her questions, while Morgan rushed up to the necromancer and thaumaturge.

"Nicole! You're choking Adrie!"

"Mer…cy-" were the only words Adrian managed to squeeze out before Nicole noticed her folly.

"Ooops! Sorreee!"

She lets go of him, leaving Adrian to cough and wheeze as he falls on his knees. Morgan rushes to his side, supporting him up and pounds on his back, enough to make Adrian recover from his coughing fit. Mudge kept watching the little show, his mind meandering in questions like, "Why do humans exist," or, "Am I missing out on something?" He simply shakes his head.

"Fools, these humans. But… amusing," Mudge said in his gruff, low, but ethereal voice.

Morgan smiles along with Mudge, only to stop and light a blazing blush on her face as Adrian lays over her lap. She hesitantly pats on his back while she looks up to Mudge.

"Hey Mudge~"

The hunchback raises a brow then answers, "Yes, my lady?"

"Uuuh, what are you? Sorry to be rude."

Mudge held back a sneer, but understood quickly after. "I am a sloth-type demon: a behemoth."

Morgan grins gently to Mudge as she caresses a passed-out Adrian. "I thought you were a demon… Those pointed ears are cute."

Mudge steps back in surprise the looks the other way bashfully.

"By the way, Mudge. Aren't you.. uh… going to disappear? The battle is over."

The demon shook his head.

"I am your familiar. I stay by your side. There is only one of each familiar in existence, each unique to their masters. Therefore, I, the nameless behemoth, the Hunchback of Poultre Dame, the Troll Under the Bridge, is at your service."

Morgan's cobalt eyes marvel at the familiar names of the behemoth. "Then… how did I summon you?"

"I am you."

The four wizards looked at each other, puzzled, except for Adrian, who still was passed out, silently mumbling, "Grapes…."

Mudge's burly fingers scratched behind his pale, pointed ears. "My spirit exists in the sad stories of conjurers who knew what it was like to be isolated, to be ignored, to feel like a speck in the world."

Morgan kept quiet, looking down to the grass, past the strands Adrian's long, white and silver hair. Scarlet thought about what the behemoth had just said, while Nicole took a lollipop out of her robe-covered bosom, unwrapping it and popping the candy into her mouth.

"Yummy!"

The silence kept on, until it was broken by a boy's voice. The wizards looked towards the pavillion, to see the wizard from earlier, a theurgist laden in green garments and a knotted wooden staff. He waved at the wizards, calling them out until he reached the four and the hunchback.

"You guys… you bested those ghosts like no other!" he said.

Scarlet looked to Nic, then Morgan, then back at the wizard of life. "And you are…"

"Oh! Where are my manners. Ceren Nightchant; initiate theurgist. Were you sent to assist me with the Unicorn Way incident? You're journeymen wizards, right?"

"Uh… We didn't receive word about another wizard… And uh…" Scarlet took off her hat to itch into her hair.

"We're novices."

She points at herself, then to Nicole, Morgan, and her finger slowed awkwardly to the passed-out Adrian.

"Yeah. We're of the girls of the Violet Nightingale House. I'm Scarlet Night, pyromancer. That's Nicole Soulthief, necromancer. Morgan Mistblade, conjurer. And uh, Adrian Kensington, thaumaturge."

"Huh… Novices…" Ceren blinks at Adrian with a sliver of jealousy in his heart.

"So that's the new boy who was placed in the Girls' Dormitory."

Adrian instantly wakes up, brushing his head up against Morgan's rather large breasts, making her blush harder by the second.

"Huh? Wha? Grapes?" Adrian swipes his head around, then rests his chin on Morgan's lap, sighing. He then suddenly points to Nicole.

"You're pure evil."

Nicole giggles with delight and patted his head. "Sorree."

Ceren's jealousy for Adrian grows bigger as well as the perverted thoughts of the possibilities of being surrounded by girls. Blood starts to drip from his nose but he quickly swipes it away.

"A-Anyway, you guys need to help me." Ceren requests.

Scarlet and the others glances at each other, then back at Ceren.

"With what?" Scarlet asks.

"The fairies. Professor Moolinda Wu sent me here to see if the Fairies are true. The guards won't allow me to go out any further, but they haven't stopped you yet."

He points toward and down the street.

"Would you check for me? Just walk down Unicorn Way and see if you can find any Fairies. If they attack, you'd best know how to defend yourself."

Scarlet itches at her cheek. "I guess, if that's part of the Unicorn Way problem… We just cleared out the ghosts so the path should be safe."

Ceren smiles cheekily. "Skeletal pirates."

"Wh-What now?"

"There are skeletal pirates down there."

Her cheek twitches and nods her head as she makes a totally genial smile- NOPE, HER HAND TOTALLY ABLAZES IN FIRE AS SHE HOLDS IT UP TO CEREN'S FACE WITH A SINISTER, PYROMANIACAL GRIN.

"WHADDYA MEAN SKELETAL PIRATES YOU HALF-WIT COWARD."

Ceren squeaks and backs like eight miles away. "I'm sorry, it's the truth!"

Scarlet's twitching eyebrows calms down and she pats her hands as sighs heavily.

"Welp, we have skeletal pirates to worry about."

She turns to her three- Now four friends.

"Well, any ideas guys? Morg? Mudge?"

"Oooh! Oooh!" Nicole bounces up and down, holding up some white pieces of cloth, like blankets.

"We can disguise ourselves as ghosts!"

Adrian, Morgan, Scarlet, even Mudge looked at each other, amazed at Nicole's childish idea.

Nicole simply pouts. "What? It's a good idea!"


	5. 5 - A Ripple in a Calm Pond

"I can't. Believe."

Scarlet's face showed her grumpy, broken pride as she followed behind Nicole, hiding under a white ghost disguise.

"Believe it!" Nicole giggled.

"I can't tell who's who," Adrian simply stated.

Does Mudge even look the part? His legs are showing!" Morgan hissed.

"I think am going to sneeze," Mudge grunted.

Scarlet glances anxiously to the left, watching the skeletal pirates march by, muttering piratey nonsense to each other. She thought to herself, iamsodead, iamsodead, iamsodead, iamsodead.

He begins to breathe heavily, but Mudge manages to suppress the sneeze, as Morgan stops looking behind her and sighs, grabbing onto her pale cloak with nervousness. Pirates were scattered all around them, either patrolling on the cobblestone streets, grunting to each other, punching at each other's fail singing, or drinking yum, only to just have the purple drink spill out of their ribcage.

"It's like the only useful they can do is swing a sword," Scarlet said under her breath.

Shaking her head, Morgan disapproves of their poor work habits. "Well, it's a miracle this plan is even working." Her white cloak goes up in flames. "Or not."

Pretty soon, all of the other cloaks burns up to a crisp, except for Adrian, who took it off himself instead. Morgan looks up (Nonono, above his butt) to see Adrian holding something, like he caught it out of mid-air. He held a small, dark fire ball in his frost-encased hands, squeezing it and smothering it of its flames. The friends turn to spot a fairy, clothed in dark tunics, jet violet short skirts, spiky ponytails, and thigh-high boots of matching hues. But in the end, they we're all at least a foot and half in height, comparable to an overly overgrown potato. :3 One dark fairy held a small fireball in her hand, dispelling it as she giggled mischievously.

She smiled and spoke in a squeaky, high voice. It could have sounded like a nice morning with birds, but instead, it was made into thieving rat's voice.

"So wizards have come to stop our fun, eh?"

"You can't take us back to Lady Oriel and ruin our playtime~" another one piped up.

tipped up her hat, revealing a confident smirk. "Now that you mention it, I haven't had my fill of fun either!"

Mudge observed over the situation, looking a bit agitated, and then turned tail. "I'm going back." His figure begins to glow.

"Mudge!" Morgan grabbed at the demon's ragged cloaks. "What ever happened to protecting me?"

The hunchback kept quiet and his figure glows brighter.  
>"Mudge!"<p>

A million thoughts of refusal, confusement, double-crossing, and sorrow brewed in her mind while her grip on the hunchback grew tighter.

"A servant shouldn't deprive his master of a good teaching."

"But you were barely with me!"

The behemoth's kept quiet for a bit longer. "….. I am a sloth type demon after all…." He finally faded in a soft flash. "Friend…."

Morgan glared at the sparkle dust left behind by the flash in disbelief.

"Some friend he was," Scarlet remarked.

After a brief pause, Morgan bit her lip and sort of bumped Scarlet aside as she raised her wand.

"You're wrong, Night."

A myth rune drew itself in the air as her lips recited the spell. "Dream Weaving: Bloodstorm!"

The rune erupted violently as a murder of blood-veiled crows flew out of the jaunite sparks of myth. The black, crimson-soaked birds tore at the fairies, making them let out tiny bloodcurdling cries of pain, until they bursted into purple sparkle dust. Scarlet watched in dread, staring at the sparkling, terrible display of what would be gore, replaced by bloody birds and a pre-school tantrum fest with purple glitter and dust.

"Scary…" Nicole squeaked.

"What kind of spell…." Adrian was also staring at Morgan's creation, but kept calm.

"I've never seen… She must've made this spell." He also notices beads of sweat gliding down her skin and face, and her cheeks were pale.

"She using too much mana." Adrian said to himself. He stepped up to Morgan's side and lowered her wand, stopping her spell.

"Adrie… Adrian? What are you doing?" Morgan stammered.

He stared her down with unreadable eyes. "Continue anymore of that and you'll die, and that won't be the worst."

With a whip of his arm, the remaining fairies became covered in frost. His hand was still raised as a death rune glowed in his palm. Slowly, the dark fairies' forms disintegrated into dark purple dust, as their magical essences flowed into his hand.

Morgan looked up to her silver haired friend in confusion.

"Adrian…"

Her words slur as she falls into his arms. Adrian lets out an exasperated sigh as he takes the fairies' mana and implants it within Morgan.

"A spell powered by hatred…. A terrifying thought indeed," Adrian thought aloud.

"Ha-tred?" Nicole asks anxiously.

He nodded as he kept observing Morgan in his arms, then he turned an unreadable glare to Scarlet.

amber eyes widened in surprise. "I-I didn't say anything to her!"

"Did you not hear Mudge's words?" Adrian's ice blue eyes grew colder to match his magics of thaumaturgic necromancy; cold death.

"What did that have to do with anything? Besides, the beast ran away!" Scarlet stammered.

'I am you' were the words Mudge said to Morg. Mudge knew what it was like to be rejected, to be isolated, to be alone. Most likely, Morgan felt the same too. Didn't you see the look on Mudge when he was called 'friend' for the first time?"

"Wh- …."

Scarlet paused in fear.

"Some friend he was," she repeated in realization.

"Scarlet…" Adrian's eyes were still intense, but his voice was gentle. "You should know that Morgan is caring as she is sensitive. Even I know that, despite being only three days."

Nicole finally grasped the weight of the situation, realizing it and losing her bubbly personality. "Morgan wouldn't have forgiven Scarlet if Mudge had heard her…"

Her lips bunched into each other as Scarlet held in her voice. She realized her folly with regret.

"Tch," Scarlet spat.

She was unable to acknowledge her mistake, grinding the sole of her boots, eroding away the sidewalk.

Adrian said no more, afraid to hurt Scarlet's feelings. The three kept hushed in the tense air. Nicole's finger traced at the ground while Scarlet's hand weakly bent at her wand. The silence kept on until a tiny war cry sounded. A dark fairy charged for the back of Adrian's neck with her miniature knife, but it was no use. Adrian's free hand swiped at the fairy, catching her with a fierce grip. The dark sprite was squished in his intense grasp, but she still had the strength to push her upper half out of his fist.

"YOU KILLED MY SISTERS!" the sprite cried as she stabbed Adrian's hand, making it bleed from a multitude of small wounds. The fairy kept at her tantrum until she froze still, meeting eye to eye with Adrian's menacing glare. His other hand let Morgan's head slip to his lap as a finger dipped in a puddle of blood on the hand holding the fairy. With it, he drew a circle on his arm, then sketches delicate writings within it, finishing it off with a tempest rune in the center.

"Yeah, alright. I killed your sisters, and you're next if you don't tell me what's going on in Unicorn Way. Else, you get to die slowly by my blood seal."

Adrian's icy eyes burned deep into the fairy's mind, along with his threatening words, making her break into tears.

"DON'T KILL ME!" she sobbed.

Nicole tried to stop him, but she was too stunned at this menacing side of Adrian.  
>Adrian squeezed tighter at the tainted pixie. "Then spit it out. Tell me why Unicorn Way is like this."<p>

"I DON'T KNOOOOOW! LADY ORIEL MUST KNOW!" the small winged girl wailed.

Adrian's finger neared the seal as he smiles. "This is just a purification seal anyways."

He pressed the edge of the scarlet seal and it glowed azure blue.

"And your friends aren't dead."

The fairy reacted to the activation of the purification seal. Violet streaks of darkness stripped off her clothes and her hair turned into a bright blonde. After the transfiguration, the pixie passed out in Adrian's hand.

"I've read something about this," Scarlet commented. "A storm rune to purify magical creatures from corruption, like a storm washes away the dust of the land."

"But that wasn't a storm spell," Nicole added.

"It's tempest magic," Adrian answered. "Erm… Pigswick stuff."

"Even so, that should be too high level of a spell for you to cast," Scarlet argued.

"Mana transfusion," Adrian explained.

"H-Huh?" Nicole pouts at his blood seal. "Is that transfusion thingy another part of your guys' fancy Pigswick magic?"

Adrian slipped the fairy into his waistcoat pocket, then stood up, with Morgan in his arms.

"No, that was my own little creation. But anyways, I think it's time we have a talk with this Lady Oriel."


	6. 6 - Stop the Maker

Her heavy eyes struggled open, only to find that her vision was still a bit blurry. By the time things were identifiable, she found herself in some giant's clothes. She was in a silky pocket, and her feet touched giant coins, the size of something she would eat off of.

"So I see you're awake," a voice boomed.

The pixie scrambled to finally peel open her eyes to see a face above her. He seemed familiar. The fairy digged into her hazy memories to recall a pair of ice blue eyes, the same pair this human held.

"Who are you?" the fairy squeaked. "Have you a name?-"

"Oooh! The tiny fairy is awake!" Nicole bounced up to Adrian, grabbing at his tailed coat to watch the fairy up close. Scared, the pixie starts grabbing at Adrian's waistcoat, digging her fingers into the silky, yet sturdy cloth, and climbing up to his clavicles, hugging onto his neck.

"Scary blondie!" the pip-squeak squeaked.

Nicole dropped her smile and waggled a finger to her, kind of also tickling Adrian's neck.

"Well excuse you, you're also blonde!"

Adrian wanted to squirm from the little tickle, but didn't want to crush the fairy by his neck. Instead, he bit his lip and sighed.

"So what's your name, blondie?"

The pixie puffed her cheeks. "Trixie."

He shrugs. "Trixie the Pixie. Why not."

The pixie started to pay more attention to Adrian's familiar ice blue eyes… The silver white hair… Until she came to recall the recent events.

"You… You killed my sisters!"

Adrian rolls his eyes. "I told you, they're not dead. I was able to keep all of their essence dust together. They'll form back soon enough and break out of my ice crystals… like butterflies."

"Don't compare me to those antennaed bugs!" Trixie shrieked.

Scarlet puffs her hair out of the way then comes up to Trixie, eye to eye. "And your beef with them is…"

"Those abominations steal nectar from our flower garden! We need nectar to make ambrosia!"

Nicole stuck the tip of her finger between her lips in thought.

"Isn't ambrosia that god-only stuff?"

"Us pixies also eat it, but we mainly make it for Lady Oriel."

Adrian and Scarlet's eyes widen at the name.

"This Lady Oriel, who is she?" Scarlet asked.

The pixie raised an eyebrow. "Uuuuh, the Lady Oriel? The seraph. Are you stupid?"

A vein popped on Scarlet's forehead as she begins to crack her knuckles, but Adrian stops her with a shake of the head. She just lets out a huff of air.

"So this Lady Oriel, where is she?" Scarlet asked.

Trixie eyes Adrian with uncertainty, which he catches in the corner of his eye.

"Still doubting me, huh?" Adrian questioned.

"Why… Why did you do that to the fairies?"

"They were corrupted, just as you were." Adrian answered.

"Cor.. rupted." She begins to recall a few memories, but shakes them off.

Scarlet clears her throat for Trixie's attention. "Lady Oriel?"

"Oh yeah… She's at the Hedge Maze down the rest of Unicorn Way."

Adrian let his finger glide along Trixie's wings, which made her shiver. "Can you walk? Err, fly?"

The fairy gave her translucent wings a twitch, shaking off a bit of sparkle dust, then nodded, darting off his shoulder and hovering by Scarlet.

Adrian glanced around, then sighed. "Look, we got off to a.. awkward start, so why don't we make up?"

Adrian raised a pinky to Trixie. She eyed the finger with doubt, then goes to shake it with her two hands anyways.

Scarlet's amburnt eyes approached Trixie's closely. "Can you take us to her? The seraph you talked about. We need to talk to her."

"Well, other than being busy," she shrugs on it. "~I don't see a reason not to."

"Great," Scarlet smiled. She stepped back to giving to Adrian and a mana-parched Morgan some room. Morgan was still passed out on his lap.

Trixie noticed her with surprise. "How did I not see her down there?"

His arms went under Morgan's legs and the other slung the conjurer's arm around his neck, then wriggled under her back, and Adrian got up on his knees, then to his feet with Morgan curled up in his arms.

At least she's lighter than I thought." Adrian thought aloud, while Scarlet burned a hole in his head with her eyes.

"Frickin' Romeo wanna-be."  
>Even though Adrian didn't understand Scarlet, he was drained of his morale, forcing a smile in gloomy nervousness.<p>

Scarlet hates meee~"

"Well, here we are."

Trixie leaned back to get the full view of the towering walls of Hedge Maze.

She absorbs in a big huff of air. "MELANIE! CHALACE! OPEN THE DOOR! WE HAVE VISITORS!"

immense doors repeated low, loud creaks as they moaned open. The doors came to a stop as the two fairies opening them darted to Trixie. They were both clad in heavy-looking bronze armor and had crossbows strapped to their backs.

Trixie!" one called, "You were gone for three days! Where were you? Where did your uniform go? Where's your platoon?"

"I don't know! According to that marshmallow-haired human, we were corrupted by some dark magic!"

"M-" Adrian pulled his head back. "Marshmallow?"

One of the guard fairies looked over to the white-haired wizard, then to the hat covering Morgan's face as she slept unconscious. She moved her watch to Scarlet's blonde hair, then to Nicole. She notices Nicole's spiral-topped wooden staff, and then squinted suspiciously, but lets the matter go due to the more pressing matters.

The guard fairy spoke. "Normally humans are not allowed in the Hedges, but if those wizards know what's happening to the fairies, I suppose I can let them through."

Trixie scratched her cheek with a short, forced laugh. "Actually, they came to see if Lady Oriel has any idea of what's happening."

The guard fairy rubbed her chin. "Well… if it helps with the restoration of Unicorn Way. I don't know if Lady Oriel knows of what happens or not."

The one of the two guard pixies who has been talking took off her helm, revealing bright blue spiky hair tied up in a ponytail, with a blade scar down her face, then turns to the wizards.

"I am Corporal Chalace. My partner, Private First Class Melanie, will show you to our Lady Oriel, the seraph."

The second fairy removed her bronze helmet as well, letting out her flowing brunette hair. She saluted the wizards with a firm display, while still hovering in mid-air. Melanie then hovered back to give way to the wizards.

"This way, guests," Melanie ordered calmly.

The novices made their through the chapel-worthy doors to gaze upon a grand hedge maze, with fairies buzzing around. Some were in the same bronze armor Chalace and Melanie were in. Others were in militaristic uniforms, and most were in yellow tunics with short skirts and boots, the same Pixie is currently dressed in. In the middle of the mazes, surrounded by the hedges and plants, was a stone-tiled opening. A blonde lady in flowing white clothes was laying on a futon, with a green-gilded sword leaning on the fine seat. The four ventured in a straight line toward the patio. On their left and rights, were entrances to the mazes, which could lead to an endless nightmare of meandering, but the sunny, summer-filled setting of the Hedge Maze convinced otherwise. Their steps (and wings), took them to the maiden. She opened her celestial green eyes, offering the wizards her regarding look. She gently flew out of her futon, with sword in hand, approaching her new guests.

"Oh praise the light! Someone has come at last!" The seraph almost spoke like she was in an opera, which made Scarlet get weirded out.

"I can feel it; traces of darkness on my poor Trixie. Yes, she too was corrupted, and you wizards helped her. If only I knew what has happened…"

The seraph's attention was taken away when she noticed the passed-out Morgan. At first, it seemed like she was going to go all nursey on Morgan, but then she noticed something else.

"That purple dust… it is not like my fairies'." Oriel went on.

Scarlet eyed Morgan with some regret, but shook it off as she explained to the seraph, "Yes, your fairies has been corrupted."

The seraph lets up her sword, disintegrating in the sunbeams like it was her sheath, as Oriel comes close to gather a sample of the purple sparkle dust that was scattered on Morgan's clothes. She looks visibly shaken as the dust sifted through her fingers.

"My fairies, they have been enchanted by something that is undead! What evil lurks on this street that reaves me to hurt my dears?"

"Undead?" Scarlet questioned. "There's like a whole bunch of them out there."

The seraph shook her head. "There must be a more powerful undead wretch that has done this dark deed."

"Hey uh…" Adrian pokes in. "Can you guys help me out with Morgan here? For now, she's running on the corrupt fairies' mana I gave her, but that's going to run out quick. We can't go on without her."

"Oh! My apologies. Yes, quickly."

She raises her hand, and several fairies came to her aid, dressed in white, nurse's outfits. They all worked together to lift Morgan to the futon. It seemed like she was the focus of a levitation spell. As Morgan was taken away, Oriel noticed Adrian's bloodied hands. He saw where Oriel's eyes went and raised it.

"Yeah, might need help with this too."

The seraph paled at the sight of so much blood. "What happened?" she asks, seeing the little stab marks.

"Trixie kinda… stabbed me. A bunch of times. When she was… Evil," Adrian explained hesitantly.

Trixie's eyes widened at the multiple wounds on his hands. "Did I really do that?"

Adrian smiled assuringly. "Wasn't your fault. It's fine."

She was still uncomfortable with Adrian. "You're a lot more nicer than I remember. You were scary… Like, not even kidding."

"I was caught in the heat of the moment," he shrugged. "I don't like being in the heat. I'm a ice wizard after all."

"You," the seraph spoke coldly. "What is that evil magic on your arm?"

observed his own arm, to find the blood seal from earlier. "Evil? This is a tempest purification seal."

"No, it is also a Gur-" The seraph stopped herself before she could spill out anymore.

Scarlet tilted her head. "A what now?"

Oriel gave her a concerned look. "It is better if you do not know-"

Nicole popped out between the two with kazoos and streamers. "IT'S ALSO A GUMMY BEAR SUMMONY SEAL THING!"

"No." Adrian and Scarlet put coldly.

Nicole pulled down her cheeks on them, showing them her eye sockets.

"Nyaaaah. You guys are no fun."

The seraph stared at the trio weirdly.

_They are all still too young…_ Oriel thought.

She kept watching the three talk and bicker about gummy candies or something, starting to smile, until a nurse fairy presented herself to Lady Oriel.

"Nurse Charmie reporting. The wizard is recovered with full mana and is awake. She will be a bit feverish from the ambrosia-mixed mana milkshake. This will only be for about thirty minutes however."

"Good," the seraph nodded. "Make sure her mana flow is stable."

"Is Morgan okay already?" Nicole blinked at the nurse.

"Ambrosia is a miracle for wizards, but they are still only mortal. They can take in too much without literally burning up. If only she was a half-blood, things would be better."  
>"Half-blood? What's the other half?" Nicole asked.<p>

The nurse laughed and smiled. "She is fine, that is all you need to know."

Scarlet and Nicole looked over to find Morgan barely awake and coughing. The two stepped lively for her.

"Morgan!" they both called out.

Nicole made a life rune in her hands, crushing it and letting its green essence take auroraic form around her hands as she ran up to Morgan's side, placing her healing magic over her.

"Oh… Nicole." Morgan managed to smile, and coughed less worse. "Where's Adrian?"

"Your man-crush is over there." Scarlet pointed to the thaumaturge far behind them, as Morgan's cheeks brightened.

He was still talking with Charmie the nurse fairy, until Morgan called out for him. He noticed Morgan and waved bye to the fairy as he ran to the conjurer. As he got closer, she gasped at his bloodied hand.

"What happened?" she gaped.

Adrian laughed gently, "It's just a scratch."

The blue conjurer pouted. "Just a scratch," she scoffed.

"Hate to break the mushy reunion," Scarlet wrapped arms around Adrian and Nicole as they gathered around their awakened friend.

"Glad you're back," Scarlet grinned.

The myth wizard blushes brighter and made a soft smile. "Sorry for being a lot of trouble. Who brought me here anyways?"

Scarlet smirks and pointed back to Adrian with a thumb. "He said you were surprisingly light."

Morgan held her breath and looked the other way, while Nicole and Scarlet giggled mischievously to each other and Adrian was there confused.

"Young wizards," Lady Oriel called out.

The novice mages gave their attention to the seraph.

Lady Oriel crossed her arms as she prepared to brief the situation. "From what we know, some form of undead is corrupting my fairies. I do not know who, but most likely, this dark figure is behind the troubles of Unicorn Way. Do you know possibly who is it or who would know of it?"

The wizards shook their heads, until Nicole piped up. "Maybe we can ask that Ceren-perv!"

Morgan let her fist fall into her hand in an idea. "Yeah, he might know who it is."

With her hands, the dream weaver summoned a glass ball.

"Luckily, I already remembered his mana signature."

Ceren's image shimmered into view. He was chewing on a salad while looking into a pair of binoculars.

"Hey, life pervert,." Scarlet called out.

The theurgist spat out his veggies and dropped the binoculars.

"Wh-Who's there?"

"Ey, uh," Scarlet started to speak. "We're talking to you via telesphere. You're hearing us through your mind. I think."

Scarlet glanced to Morgan to see if she was correct.

"That's right," Morgan smiled.

He wiped his mouth. "It's those Nightingale girls, right?"

"And guy!" Nicole popped in.

"What's the point even?" Adrian said.

"We're at the Hedge Maze. It turns out the fairies were getting corrupted," Scarlet reported.

"So the rumours are true…" Ceren green eyes trembled with worry.

Scarlet blinked at him. "Anyways, some kind of powerful undead thing is enchanting the fairies. Do you know who could've done this?"

Ceren thought intently on it. "Hmm…I've been here since I was young, so I know the street well. It could be Lady Blackhope, but she has not ever tried to enchant the fairies."

Trixie spoke up to the crystal ball. "I remember bones clacking around before I fell out of my normal consciousness."

Ceren popped out of his thought bubble. "Was that a fairy? You said bones?"

He pouted on it more, muttering "undead" and "skeletons", until he came to a conclusion.

"Who else? Could it be? A skeleton! It has to be Rattlebones!"

Scarlet raises a brow. "Rattle-what?"

"Rattlebones?" Oriel asked. "If it was him, then he must've been empowered by another dark force if he is to challenge Unicorn Way."

Ceren nodded into his salad, then spoke with a stuffed mouth. "The wretched slaglicker took over my old friend Delia's tower. Go find him there. I'll try and meet up with you guys there. If you can reach me by telesphere, then whoever cast it can find the way to the tower with my mana resonance."

He quickly gobbled up his salad then stuffed a pizza in his mouth. With haste and paste, he packed his belongings into his magical backpack, which then was dispelled back into his spellbook. Ceren darted out of his bushy hiding place and the telesphere transmission was cut out into static. With a tap, the crystal ball dissolved by Morgan's fingers.

"So Delia's tower," Scarlet repeated. "Morgan, are you able to track his mana-whatever?"

She shook her head. "They don't teach us that until we're initiates."

Adrian spoke up, "Well, I can. But I can't because I don't know his mana signature."

Morgan coughed a bit before speaking. "Can you show me how?"

Adrian took her hands, leading to Morgan blushing madly like pink roses.

"Close your eyes, Morgan."

She did as she was told while she felt his knowledge-filled mana stream into her hands through his fingers.

"Now, imagine a multitude of things that represents each individual soul," Adrian instructed.

She squinted her eyes tight, visualizing cherry blossom petals. As they cascade, a few petals were colored differently with things that represented their souls. Scarlet's was lit on fire, but it didn't burn. Nicole's was green, purple, and grey. It was jittery and flew around erratically. Adrian's petal was a shade of grey covered in frost with blue, cold electricity sparking around it. She looked for Ceren's. A sense of his mana touched her. She twisted around gracefully and grabbed at a stray petal. Morgan opened her hands to see a perfectly pink petal blossom with the wooden stem and leaves still connected to it.

Her eyes flew open and she saw a trail of Ceren's petals leading out of the maze. She also felt his mana.

"East. He's located on our east. I can follow him!"

Adrian smiled proudly and let go of her hands. "Great job."

Morgan smiled hopefully at her thaumaturgic friend.

Scarlet tugged at Lady Oriel's garments. "But is she ready to travel any further?"

"I'll just be coughing for a while," Morgan assured her pyromantic teammate.

"Ooh! Ooh! So that means we can go!" Nicole jumped around chipperly.

"But before you go…." Lady Oriel said. "The scout legion fairies have reports of fairies trapped in cages of bones. If you can, please, release them."

Scarlet smirked confidently and punched the seraph playfully on the shoulder, which made the other fairies gasp.

"Don't worry, big sis. We won't let a single one get taken away!"

"That's right," Adrian stepped up. "I fight against oppression and corruption. I'd go back on my word if we don't free them."

"And then when they're free, we can have a party!" Nicole hopped around as she spoke.

"Uh…" Morgan looked around nervously, but shot up her fist. "Yeah!"

Surprised, Adrian followed Morgan's unexpected example, calmly raising his fist. Nicole also leaped up with a fist in air, and Scarlet punched the sky with a strong fist.

"Come guys~" Morgan grinned.

The conjurer was first to dash for the Hedge Maze doors, and her friends followed behind. The seraph watched them go; smiling as she rubbed her slightly bruised shoulder.

"They are daring children, alright." Lady Oriel remarked. "Time will see if the Spiral falls in their hands."


	7. 7 - Join the Club

"Well… We forgot about those guys."

"Totally did."

"How are we going to deal with them?"

The four watched the crowd of skeletal pirates marching or taking guard on the cobblestone steps of Unicorn Way.

"Oooh! Oooh! We summon a heckhound and he'll chase the skeletal pirates!"

Everyone turns to Nicole with an uncertain face, disapproving her idea.

"I can't summon a heckhound to start with," Scarlet said.

"Those things are too chaotic for us to control," Morgan added.

"The ghost disguises?" Adrian suggested.

Morgan shook her head, then sneezed. "Woo~" She wipes her nose. "Ghosts don't cough or sneeze."

Adrian turned back to moping at the cobblestone. "Riiiight."

He bared his incisors at the skeletons, trying to think up of a plan. "Have any of you got a mana potion?"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Nicole starts digging into her bosom, and pulls out a flask with sparkling blue liquid.

Scarlet blushes at the sight. "You don't even have that big of a chest!"

"How d-does she keeps things in there?" Morgan stammered.

"There's pockets in your chest?" Adrian asked.

"I think it's _tres bon_!" Nicole smiled and handed the flask to the ice wizard.

He nods back in thanks and sips in a quarter of the potion. "I used up a bit of mana today. Nicole, can you work-"

"You know~" Scarlet steps up, producing a wand out of her sleeve. "I think I should get my turn at the fun."

Eyes filled with worry, Morgan grabs at Scarlet's cape. "You're actually going to fight them?"

"We handled the fairies just fine. Relax. Plus I've always wanted to try this new spell."

Scarlet steps up to the skeletons with an assertive smile.

"Hello boys~"

The undead corsairs turned to the pyromancer. They grumbled and raised their swords, alerting their allies of her presence.

Morgan hissed at Scarlet. "A simple firecat can't deal with them!"

The smile of Scarlet's face grew into a smug grin as she looked over her shoulder to her friends.

"Who says I was gonna cast firecat?"

Scarlet turned back at the skeletons. "Flame Arts: Cinderblade Cutlass!"

The pyromancer's fingertips swiped away from her along the smoothness of her wand, making a double-edged curved scimitar of blazing fire. The flames spun within the sword's shape, densifying more and more, like a firestorm compressed into a beermilk bottle. Cinders and charred bits flowed crazily in its blade, very well assuring that the sword will not pass through its target.  
>Her friends stared in awe as the sworded girl charged toward the crowd of undead, dragging the blade through countless enemies and parrying off their cutlasses with ease, easily proving that she was no novice knight. She struck at one pirate, crossing blades with him and smiling.<p>

"Seems I'll be flaming up all of you guys."

She continued grinding her edge on the pirate's, too distracted to notice a pirate behind charging for her neck.

Morgan called out with despair. "Scarlet!" She reached for her wand but her hand blew out of place as a cold current rushed by her fingers. Just as the skeletal pirate's sword came down on Scarlet's neck, the icy, snowy current came together to form a familiar thaumaturge ally. Adrian fell back-to-back with Scarlet, kicking the undead privateer away as he rolled off her back, somersaulting backwards and grabbing the skeleton whom Scarlet crossed blades with by the head. The skeleton and wizard were in mid-air as Adrian's hand glides off the skull and grips onto the spine of the pirate. With brute force, he slammed the skeletal marauder into the cobblestone, making it disperse in a cloud of bones and dust as he landed with a stumble.

Adrian spat his bangs out of the way as he looked up to Scarlet. "That's twice I had to save your ass."

Scarlet simply giggles with fighting confidence. "Show off."

More pirates circled around the two opposites of power. The fire and ice wizard stood with backs facing each other. The energy within Scarlet's flame sword began to speed up and intensify while mana flowed through Adrian's veins and ice covered his fists. Off in the distance, a giant, rotting worm erupted out of the ground, gobbling up the skeletons unfortunate enough to be in its summoning area. Nicole stood by with death runes and staff in her hands while Morgan created a swarm of bright, Myth-yellow lightning bugs, swooping in at another group of skeletal pirates, making them disappear with a flash, leaving only their clothes and a pool of ectoplasm. One of the death runes in Nicole's hands sparked and the rotting worm shined and split apart to five small forms. The figures faded down and gained color, turning into Nicole's Super Dark Sprite Squad. She really hadn't paid attention to it before, but Morgan caught that there were five of them, colored pink, yellow, green, blue, and red. The sprites circled around skeletons, draining their necromantic ties to the living world, forcing the skeletons to unanimate into piles of bones.

"You Ravenwood folk are good fighters," Adrian commented. "I should save some mana for now."

An ice rune drew itself in front of Adrian. "Snow Summoning: Ice Beetle!"

He swiped his wand up and an ice beetle dug out of the ground, crushing its bony victims with its cold mandibles.

"I could say the same about you Pigswick folk," Scarlet called back.

"Cinder Summoning: Firecat Litter!" She lobbed her sword up, spinning and creating a fire rune. From it, a trio of firecats shot out, landing around Scarlet as they were shrouded in flames and breathed out superheated air. One managed to find a handful of skellies in its pounce, erupting into fire as their bones dried into dust. Another clawed its way through its share of skeletons, joining its remaining sibling as they yowled at more pirates, reducing them into ashes with hot breaths.

"Anymore?" Scarlet asked.

The wizards looked around until Nicole twisted to find some sneaky ones jumping for her with cutlasses raised. She readied herself to smack at them with her staff, until branches suddenly snaked their way to the skeletons, wrapping around them and squeezing their souls out.

Nicole turned to her left to see a boy clothed in green. Ceren Nightchant hurried up to the novice wizards, panting.

As soon as he caught his breath, Ceren managed to speak,"Are.. Whew! A-Are you guys sure you're not beginner wizards? A-And what's with that Fire Blade?"

Scarlet's sword fell back into her hands. "It's a Cinderblade Cutlass, life pervert."

Ceren raises a brow at her. "I-Isn't that a magus level spell? Even so, that takes 3 years of training to wield!"

She shrugs. "What so hard about swinging a sword?"

The blade disappears, leaving behind only Scarlet's wand.

"Let's just say I sneaked a peek in Falmea's spell card collection."

Scarlet smiled mischieviously, making Ceren surprised with her words. Morgan and Nicole met up with Scarlet, releasing their spells while Adrian joined them with a shrunken ice beetle in his arms, stroking its frosty wings.

"Ooh ooh!" Nicole jumped and took the ice beetle in her arms. "Can we keep it?"

Adrian chuckled. "If you take over in keeping the spell active."

"Oh." Nicole shrugs and hugged the beetle dearly, while Morgan's hands tried for the beetle in worrying Nicole might squeeze it too hard.

Ceren watched the group's care-freeness, impressed by their abilities. "Yeah, I couldn't make it to the tower because of those skeletal pirates. I guess I'll lead you to Delia's tower."

"Hey Ceren," Scarlet spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"After walking around the street, did you ever see any bone cages? We didn't."

"Well…" Ceren thought on it. "Before the ghosts showed up, I did see bone cages hung around lamp posts. They must've been taken away. Why?"

"So the fairies are already taken away…" Scarlet bit her thumb, realizing it's too late, but threw the thought away.

"The tower." Ceren pointed out.

"Right." Scarlet confirmed.

With that, the wizards followed the theurgist down the streets of Unicorn Way.

* * *

><p>"Let me go!" cried one pixie as she struggled with the cage. The bone bar of the cage wouldn't budge. Her cage was one of the many cages that were lined around the surrounding wall.<br>A skeleton in black, gold gilded armor, made his way to the resisting fairy. He cackled as his bone finger went for the pixie's chin, but the pixie shoved it out of the way.

"A fiesty one this is," he spoke. His breath was rasp and rough, and voice like a pirate's.

The pixie stomped at her cage, glaring at the skeleton. "You're gonna pay you big, fat, meanie, fat, gross, mean, you!"

"And what could you do, but be my little cute dark pixie~" The armored skeleton's teeth neared the fairy.

"I would laugh and smile." He points to his teeth. "But I have no lips! ROHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

Nobody joined his laugh. Even his dark sprites simply shook their heads.

You guys are no fun." He grumbled. He starts to walk away, until the sound of footsteps reached his- Nevermind he doesn't have ears.

The doors burst open and five wizards clothed in different magic schools rushed in. The armoured skeleton raised his sword to attack, but the wizards went right past him, to the imprisoned fairies. One by one, they took away the bone cages, walking out of the tower, making the armoured skeleton confused.

One of the wizards, clothed in elegant purple, green, and black, with blonde hair, came up to the skeleton, with a board and paper.

"Mr. Rattlebones, am I right?" Nicole asked.

"Uuuh…" Rattlebones looked around to what was happening, then back to the necromancer.

"I am Rattlebones."

"Great! I see my partners have finished packing up the bone cages. Now if you could just sign here~" Nicole showed him the papers, with documents and blank lines. She also gave the skeleton a pen, which he took to sign the papers.

"W-Wait, where are you taking the fairies?" Rattlebones looked over her shoulder.

"To the new dark enchantment site! Our dark master finds your way of enchanting too inefficient."

"H-Hold on, me? Inefficient? Lord Malistaire told me I am the only commander in Unicorn Way!"

"So…" Nicole revealed her staff, which glowed with unnerving, creepy magics. "The old man is behind all these plans?"

Realizing what was happening, Rattlebones brought down his sword on Nicole, which she blocked by forming an inward curved blade from the top of her staff.

Rattlebone's eyes widened at the sight, or if he even had eyelids. "This blade… The staff…"

Nicole pulled a finger to her lips, shushing Rattlebones as she jumped back to join her fellow wizards.

"I can't believe he actually fell for that," Ceren marvelled.

Rattlebones' bones clacked and shook with irritation.

"To be toyed with by childish wizards!"

"Heh, so this is Rattlebones?" Her wand bursts into a flaming sword once more.

"Scrawny fellow."

Instead of growing more annoyed, he laughed, summoning a black, gold edged shield with a skull on it.

"You cannot stop us wizard! The corruption of the fairies is just the beginning of Malistaire's plans! Soon, Wizard City will fall and there isn't anything anyone can do about it! Mwahahahaha!"

"You talk too much." Scarlet readied herself and darted toward the skeleton. She chopped down at Rattlebones but he bashed the blade away with his shield and kicked Scarlet in the guts, launching her away and into a bookshelf, making her let out a cough of pain. Adrian was next, flashing from his position and speeding up behind the skeleton, ready to crush his helmet with his clawed, frost-covered hands. Rattlebones swiped away his head to avoid his death grasp, then immediately knocked him forcefully with an elbow to the face.

"He's too fast," Morgan pointed out.

"Then we use two!" Nicole slammed the butt of her staff into the ground. "Corpse Weaving: Ghouls!"

The ground cracked and three ghouls erupted from the ground, just like before. They charged at Rattlebones with their shovels, but the skeleton was more experienced. One ghoul thrusted his spade at his ribcage, but he leaped into the pole of the shovel, slicing the ghoul's head in two up the middle. As soon as he landed, another ghoul swiped at the skeleton, but he rolled away, letting the shovel head bash the other ghoul's head into pieces. With ease, Rattlebones circled around his attacker and shoved the point of his sword up the remaining ghoul's back. Before the ghoul hit the ground, Rattlebones caught his shovel and lobbed it at Nicole. It span in the air and impacted on her shoulder, making her let out a scream of intense pain as she fell hard into a pile of papers and bones.

Ceren bit his lip and pointed his staff at Rattlebones. "Nature Weaving: Rampant Growth!"

A life rune drew itself in front of him and turned to wood. More wood branches sprouted from it, snaking around each other as they darted for the skeleton. Rattlebones slid under the mass of branches, then boosted to the side, charging for Ceren. More wood branched from the ones that attacked Rattlebones before. They too grew speedily for the skeleton, but he used it as a stepping stone, flying off of it and managing a deep cut in Ceren's upper right arm, splashing blood on the bookshelves.

ARRGH!" Ceren cried. He immediately directed his hand over his wound, it glowed with green energy as the wound started to regenerate, but the blood loss also raced against the healing.

turned to Morgan, who he deemed was frail and hurled his sword at the conjurer. Her eyes widened as the blade spun for her.

Adrian and Scarlet reached for her. "No!"

splatted on her face. Her eyes shook as she looked upon the deep wound. A hunchback was in front of her, with the sword lodged in his arm.

"Mudge!" Morgan cried.

The behemoth demon's ears twitched as he growled with annoyance. He pulled the sword out of his arm and threw it aside, landing right beside Scarlet. She was shocked as the sword dug into the books. Mudge huffed and puffed, then charged for the skeleton, ripping away his shield and arm, the continued at tearing apart the skeleton and his armor. Rattlebones cried in pain as he as dismembered by the hunchback.

"He… He did it," Scarlet breathed, as she started to get up.

Ceren shook his head out of dizziness and rushed to Nicole's side. His own wound shrank to a still considerable cut, but he managed the rest of his healing mana on relocating Nicole's shoulder bones.

You alright?" Ceren asked.

Nicole unburied her face from the books. "I'm fine."

"No," Mudge grumbled.

"What?"

The five wizards looked to where the demon pointed. They watched as the bones began to come back together. Even the armor, shield, and sword.

Adrian rushed to Scarlet's side, trying to mutter a plan into her ear. Rattlebones rose from his regeneration, laughing as he rolled his shoulder joints.

"You're going to have to do better than that, scrubs!"

"Yeah?" Adrian spat into the ground then threw aside his cloak. He produced a rapier of ice and challenged Rattlebones to a duel.

"_En garde_, bone man," He warned.

Adrian came into an elegant stance, sword tip pointed at Rattlebones as his free hand was unruly, ready to brawl and counter. He let his swordsicle drag on the ground as he raced for Rattlebones. The two clashed. Rattlebone's shieldhand went to punch Adrian, but he lowered his arm and stepped back, dancing around the skeleton and jumped, spinning in mid air and stopping to thrust his rapier from behind. The blade pierced through his armor, but Adrian quickly pulled it out and leaped backwards. Rattlebones stared at the thaumaturge with hate as he rubbed the back of his head. Adrian smirked as while he swung his sword up, firing a line of erupting ice spikes from the ground at Rattlebones. The skeleton dodged it with ease, but Adrian kept flashing around, firing more and more ice waves at the armoured skeleton, while keeping his distance.

"You annoying fly!"

Rattlebones decided it was time to strike back, but his feet wouldn't move. They were tied to the ground by Ceren's wood magic. Adrian then slammed his hands on the ground. The skeleton noticed that his hand was on chalk. Rattlebones twisted around to see the other wizards doing the same thing. He shook in horror as he found himself in the center of a magic circle made of lines of ice spikes from before, and chalk lines to finish the circle.

Adrian yelled out to above. "Scarlet! Now!"

The pyromancer leaped up, corkscrewing in the air gracefully as she brought up her flaming sword. With precision, she hurled the Cinderblade Cutlass at Rattlebones. It bolted right into a rune that made out the center circle in which Rattlebones was in. Scarlet landed with ease on her part of the magic circle and slammed her palms on the chalk circle.

She called out, "Cinder Summoning!:"

The group of wizards followed right after, chanting in unison, "Phoenix!"

Mudge's lips pursed in as he stood flat against the wall, watching surprised at Rattlebones while he let out an excruciating yell of pain. The center of the circle blazed in a pillar of intense inferno.

Instantly, a giant bird of fire feathers sprouted out of the magic circle in blazing fire. The room was too cramped, so the phoenix had its back against the ceiling.

"WHO DARES SUMMONING ME FROM ICE MAGIC?" the phoenix demanded.

The raptor of fire stared at Scarlet with anger, but then noticed all the other wizards, and watched down at her tail, seeing Rattlebones screaming from within.

"I see…" the phoenix calmed.

The phoenix dissipated and the blazes were gone. Rattlebones was frozen in place, his bones burned to a crisp as he was reaching up for something with his hand. His charred bones disintegrated into ashes.

All the wizards were sucked of their mana. They fell back and started panting. Mudge lumbered over to Morgan's side, watching awkwardly as Morgan smiled and panted out of exhaustion.

Ceren bolted up and yelled, "You guys are insane!"

Scarlet chuckled as Adrian coughed. Nicole moaned into a book that covered her face.

"Heroes are always insane," Scarlet pointed out.

"Join the club."


	8. 8 - Returning to Father

"To think we'd almost forget about this."

Scarlet and the three, plus Ceren & Mudge, looked upon a house, its roof laden with yellow and red shingles.

"Who's house is this?" Ceren asked.

The other four wizards remained silent, while Ceren and Mudge shrugged to each other.

"Hey life perv," Scarlet called.

"Huh?" Ceren blinked at the pyromancer.

"Are you sure you don't want me to sear your wound shut?"

"N-No! It's painful!"

"It's either pain or you bleed a lot more."

Ceren kept staring at Scarlet, a bit afraid of her question. Adrian came up behind him, patting his shoulder.

"No worries, mate." Adrian assured. "I can null the pain with the little mana I have left."

Nicole watched the three with worry, wondering if Ceren will be okay, until Morgan tugged on her sleeve.

"C'mon Nic, let's return her to her body." Morgan produced the flask from before, that held a white wisp.

Nicole nodded silently as she begins for the yellow and red roofed house. Mudge also followed them through the doorway that was a tad too small for him. Morgan and Nicole cringed as they heard Ceren Nightchant's cry of pain. Mudge licked his lips at the cry, but bit his lip, resisting his demonic intuition. The girls shook the thought of the pain off as they continued their search for a body of a little girl. The three looked around every part of the house, but they came up with nothing. Mudge walked down a hallway, until his head bumped into something, and an attic door smacked him forward from behind. He growled and cursed, but realized the new, unsearched area above. He pushed the attic door aside to call for the other girls with his gruff, ethereal voice. Sure enough, Morgan and Nicole arrived later to find an attic door with stairs, and with Mudge's head popping out of the cellar entrance.

"I believe I am stuck," Mudge put blatantly.

"Mudge!" Morgan reached for her familiar in worry.

Nicole analyzed the situation, and then positioned herself below Mudge. She started to stomp the floor. The conjurer turned to her friend, raising a brow. Nicole squatted down, and then raised a foot to the ceiling with a hand ready to push herself up.

Morgan looks down on her. "Nic… Nicole, what are you-"

Nicole suddenly bolts up, kicking Mudge in the face as she disappears into the ceiling along with Mudge's face.

"M-Mudge!" Morgan scrambles to climb the ladder. "Well, that was one way of doing it…"

She popped her head into the higher level, seeing Nicole sprawled out on a pile of clothes and Mudge blinded by a cover sheet.

Morgan giggles behind her hand then climbs out of the hole to below. "Mudge, are you okay?"

He rubs his nose. "I deserved that. No demon should've been in such a pitiful situation."

"I-" She looks weirdly at her demon familiar. "Alright, Mudge."

The room was full of dusty stuff, boxes covered in cobwebs, clothes beyond cleaning, and sunbeams unnaturally visible through the dust-filled air.

"Guys, look~"

Nicole's fingers showed Morgan and Mudge's eyes to a lifeless body of a little girl with brunette braids and straight bangs, with freckles on her face. Morgan brought out the white flask out.

"So is this her?" she asked.

Nicole went up to the figure. "So how do I return the soul to the body without making her undead or something?"

"Well theurgy only keeps a being from dying." Morgan pointed out. "We need to return a soul to its body."

"Re-establish her mana link; her spirit's mana flow." Mudge explained suddenly.

The two looked at the behemoth demon with surprise.

"You know this stuff?" Nicole asked.

"I'm simply reversing the steps to eating a soul," Mudge said blatantly.

"Oh," the girls went, looking at each other with concern.

"So how do we do that?" Nicole asked again.

"Just give her mana," Mudge said.

"But we don't have enough mana to give her and return her soul."

The demon grumbled and took Morgan's hand then put his free hand to the girl's chest. "This is really tough…"

Mudge focused to transferring his mana, reversing the steps to eating a soul. He felt like vomiting as he visualized mana flowing from his arm into the girl's bosom.

"Now, the girl's soul. Into my mouth," Mudge instructed.

Morgan swiped the flask away. "You're not eating her!"

"I am under my master. If I were to eat it, then I would disobey you. I do not desire a cheap soul like this girl's anyways."

With hesitance, Morgan popped the cork off the flask, pouring the white wisp within into Mudge's mouth. The demon swallowed it, making Morg and Nic gasp, but he simply rolled his eyes at Nicole and Morgan, while his mana-filled arm trembled and the soul coursed through his veins and into the girl's body. For a moment, nothing happened, and then the girl spasmed, coughing awake.

"Wh- Wha?"

Her eyes opened to a menacing demon. She screamed, but a blonde girl with blue eyes, clothed in blue, gold-trimmed wizard wear shushed her silent.

"Hush now, dear…" Morgan breathed gently. "Your name is Connie, isn't it? Connie Stillson?"

Connie nodded cautiously, watching her braids rub along Mudge's wrist, which the demon took his hand away from Connie's chest.

Nicole hovered over her, smiling gently, unlike her childish, cheerful grins. "Your daddy is waiting for you."

Connie's breathing slowed to a calm demeanor. "Father?"

"That's right…" Morgan nodded.

Scarlet's voiced echoed throughout the cellar. "Is everything alright up there?"

"Scarlet's down there with Ceren. He's passed out," he explained.

Connie watched the new people around her, plus the occasional sloth demon.

Nicole jabbed a thumb at herself. "We're wizards!"

The little girl awed at the bruised and burnt spellcasters. "You guys are strong!"

Adrian started to make his way up to the attic, but Scarlet kicked Adrian up the rest of the way. The pyromancer followed right after as she climbed up, smiling with pride.

"You bet we are strong!"

Morgan shook softly at Connie's shoulder. "Did you remember what happened to you, dear?"

Connie observed her surroundings, and then giggled half-heartedly to Mudge scratching his ear like a dog. Mudge noticed Connie's giggle, grunted, and went for the exit.

She turned to Morgan, explaining, "I remember a scary ghost… She made me a ghost."

"So it was just a lost soul," Scarlet shrugged.

"No," Morgan said.

Everyone turned to Morgan's objection.

"All the ghost we've seen had their genders hidden. Connie said a she." Morgan explained.

Adrian let his fist fall into his palm in an idea. "Then, can you describe the ghost to us?"

Connie raised a brow. "The lady ghost looked like she hasn't eaten for days, but she was in a pretty white dress."

Adrian raised a finger, but both that and his smile dropped as he shrugged. "Meh, I'm still new to Wizard City."

"You're not the only one who doesn't know," Scarlet commented.

Nicole and Morgan also had no idea.

"But anyways, we have to return Connie to the private." Scarlet pointed out.

Morgan's hand caressed Connie's head, running her palm along her braids. "Do you want to see dad again?"

The little girl nodded eagerly.

"He promised he'd see me again."

"Your shift is over."

Private Cardigan casually strolled over to the gate, fidgeting with his spear, waiting for a response.

"Stillson?" Cardigan asked.

The guard continued to his side, poking him with the butt of his spear.

Private Stillson broke from his vigil. "Wh-what?"

Cardigan frowned. "I said your shift is over. Are ye' daydreaming?"

Stillson regained his vigilant posture. "Ambrose sent some novices down Unicorn Way."

"Not my problem. You shoidn't be worried 'bout dead meat."

Stillson shot Cardigan a warning look, to which he raised his eyebrows in mock intimidation.

"You can just keep going. I am waiting for the wizards' return," Stillson explained.

His colleague shrugs and turns away. "Oight, if you want. Less work fer me. I tell 'em yer on overtime."

Cardigan starts to walk away, but also adds, "And give me half of ye extra pay. Oi've not enough hours t'day."

Stillson's eyes were sewn to the tunnel gate as he mumbled, "Mmmyeah, sure."

Cardigan shrugs blatantly and continues to leave the scene. Stillson's grip on his spear tightens, but quickly weakens as he sloops back on the stone wall, leaning back and shivering to the sound of the helmet grinding the wall as his head tilted backwards to face the sky. The guard sighs out a huff of worrisome air as he gave in to his heavy eyelids. He didn't start to doze, for the thoughts in his head kept him up. Soon, his breathing became softer anyways and Stillson began to sleep, only to jerk awake to heavy footsteps from the Unicorn Way tunnel. He pushed himself away from the wall and spun around with his spear in hand, taking a clumsy, yet ready stance for what was coming. A hulking figure in a ragged tunic and hood of brown cotton came out of the shadows. Stillson shook in fear as his eyes met the monster's yellow irises. Though his face was partly hidden by the hood's shadow, a pointed ear poked out of the hood. Stillson realized it was some kind of demon and prepared his spear, but his legs were ready to run. The demon finally came out of the shadows of the tunnel, only to get stuck in the tunnel opening. Stillson watched the demon with confusion as Mudge made an expression that showed he was borderline angry.

"That's twice this happened today," Mudge grumbled in his gruff voice.

Muffled voices sounded out of the tunnel from behind the demon.

"Morgan! Your hunchback thing is blocking the way!"

"It's dark…"

"Why do you girls even have a demon familiar?!"

"M-Mudge! Are you alright-"

"HYAAAAH!"

The demon was bursted out of the tunnel with a necromancer girl flying out behind him, like she actually kicked the giant hunchback out of the way. Mudge rolled down the cobblestone until a stone house stopped him, cracking a bit in the process. The behemoth demon was upside down with his back on the wall, watching his legs hang with shame. Nicole landed beside Stillson from her flying kick, finishing little kung-fu show with a fist pump. She then took a proud position with a hand on her flat bicep.

"Black Ranger is bestest, cutest ranger!" Nicole chanted.

Stillson blinked in astonishment, trying to process what had just happened. "Did she just kick a giant demon-"

"Mudge!" Morgan rushed towards her familiar, tripping on Stillson's spear and crashing into Nicole.

Scarlet walks up behind Stillson from the tunnel, shaking her head. "All of my friends are so clumsy."

Adrian follows up after Scarlet. "Hey, well I'm still here-" He also trips… over nothing, managing a nice faceplant.

"Nevermind," he mumbles into the ground.

Private Stillson was still trying to comprehend the ruckus, but then pushed it all away as he turned to Scarlet.

"You wizards are back!"

She grins proudly as she twirled her wand in the air. "That's right!"

Scarlet looks behind her as Ceren limps out from the shadows of the tunnels, waving to the guard.

"But," Stillson interrupted Scarlet's moment of accomplishment. "Connie, did you find her?"

Scarlet gave him a disregarding jab of a thumb, pointing behind her as she went to help up Adrian. The guard turned into the tunnel to see a small girl standing behind Ceren's legs. Connie peeked around to see her father.

"Daddy!"

There was a bounce in her steps as Connie left Ceren's side, rushing up to reunite with her father, leaving Scarlet scrambling to get to Ceren, diving under his arm to support the theurgist.

Nightchant slightly blushes to Scarlet coming to hold him up. "Oh. Eheh, thanks-"

"SHYUDDUP!" Scarlet immediately returns the blush, kicking Ceren's ass away into an Adrian who was still getting up.

They both let out an "Oof!" as they collided with each other. Stillson and her daughter's heartfelt reunion was ruined by the silly happenings, watching Ceren smiling and holding his arm in pain while blood dripped down from his nose, while Adrian was under the life wizard, sighing and giving up, simply burying his face in the ground.

"Did." The guard blinked. "Did these wizards really rescue you?"

Connie grinned gently. "Yep! They told me how they beat up this meanie skeleton with a big fire birdy!"

Private Stillson's eyes widened at the novice wizards in disbelief, realizing their burns and bruises. "Them? They summoned the legendary phoenix?"

Mudge was recovering from his dizzy roll-into-a-wall, while Morgan managed to crawl up from under a dazed Nicole, trotting quickly to pull Adrian up from under Ceren. Scarlet finally let go of her temper, losing her blush and turning to the Stillsons, shrugging.

"Well, yeah. I would be lying if I said we didn't summon a phoenix," Scarlet bragged.

Scarlet puffs her hair out of the way, sporting her proud, amburnt eyes, with a fist by her hip and a thumb at her chest. "Just you wait, I'm gonna be the strongest pyromancer ever! A fire knight!"

Private Stillson's eyes widened. "A fire knight?"

Adrian casually came up beside Scarlet, with hands behind his head in a relaxed stance.

"Don't you mean _we're_ going to be the strongest?" Adrian asked.

Morgan nudged up against Scarlet playfully. "Yeah, as friends."

"Aaaand!"

Nicole jumped up against Scarlet from behind, hugging around her neck. "Plus, we've still gotta plan that party at the Hedge Maze!"

"Heh." Scarlet just smirks with confidence. "Sure, together. But I'm still gonna be the strongest."

"I don't know, Scarly." Morgan pokes at Adrian. "You're gonna have some tough competition. After all, he came up with the plan."

"Eeeh?" Adrian smiles nervously. "Well we couldn't pull it off if Scarlet wasn't-"

"Oh?" Scarlet knocks her head against Adrian's. "Then you're gonna get soooo burnt up."

"I didn't sign up for thiiiisssss," Adrian whimpered.

Private Stillson watched in awe, finding a potential power in the group of friends.

"Did they really save Unicorn Way?" the guard asked himself.

Connie's tiny hands tugged at her father's guard clothes, grabbing the private's attention.

"Daddy! Daddy! I wanna be a wizard too! Like big sister Scarlet and brother Adrian!"

At first, Private Stillson was surprised at her words, but soon smiled warmly at his daughter's dreams.

"Sure, girl. When you're old enough."

"But I wanna be a wizard now!"

"Hey," Scarlet crouched down to meet her eyes with Connie's. "Don't worry. When you're old enough to be a wizard, we'll still be here, so wait for us, alright?"

Connie's eyes let out a sparkle of enthusiasm, as she smiled and nodded at Scarlet's request.

"Alright, big sister!"

Scarlet chuckled a bit as she looks down, getting back up to standing proud with her friends in front of the eyes of a young, dreaming girl.

"Come on," Morgan said. "Let's get back to the dorms. We should clean up before curfew."

The group of wizards looked up to find the sky mixed with orange, as the sun started to retreat behind the skyline of towers and the Great Tree.

"It's already afternoon~" Scarlet remarked.

"I CALL FIRST SHOWER!" Nicole called out.

"Dammit!" Scarlet hissed to herself.

"I call second," Adrian smiled.

"Third," Morgan claimed.

"Fine, fourth." Scarlet rolled her eyes.

The conjurer laughs gently and steps ahead. "Come on, let's get home~"

Nicole bounces around. "Ooh ooh! Race ya, Morgan!"

Nicole immediately dashes ahead of Morgan, making the conjurer shake her head and chase after her necromancer friend.

"Come on, pervert." Scarlet elbows Adrian playfully as she begins to jog after her friends.

Adrian simply lets out a huff of exhaustion and goes ahead lazily with hands relaxed behind his head. Connie's hold on her father's legs tightens as she watches the wizards go off to their dorms, while Stillson begins to foresee their future.

"Maybe they'll be the saviors of Wizard City…" Stillson spoke to himself.

His train of thought gets interrupted as something else tugs at his trousers. He looks down on his right, finding a theurgist half-passed-out.

Ceren Nightchant was barely able to make out his words with a dazed smile.

"Get me to a nurse please~"


	9. 9 - Shower Time

"I still can't get over it."

Scarlet was slouched on the couch with a towel on her lap, waiting for her turn for the showers.

Morgan blinked over at Scarlet. "Can't get over what?"

"That a freaking boy is in our dorms, much more he's using the same showers as us," Scarlet explained.

Morgan rolls her eyes. "It's already been three days, Scarlet."

The conjurer then looks over to the kitchen, watching Adrian trying to put a pot up in a cabinet, but a bunch of other pots and pans fall out from above. He tranced at the stainless steel mess around him, probably trying to process what had just happened.

Morgan giggles slightly at the sight. "Come on, Scarlet. You've gotta get over it someday.

The pyromancer shrugs. "Well… I guess. I like the fact that he makes meals for us, and butler-quality food at that, but still, don't you think he's gonna peep on us?"

Morgan's cheeks glow bright with pink, but she manages to shake it off. "Well…"

She looks over to Adrian sighing as he started to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

"I don't think he's that kind of person," Morgan assured Scarlet.

Scarlet puffs her blonde bangs out the way and rolls over on the couch, getting her knees up on the soft cushions to have her eyes turn up to the moonlight gleaming through the leaves of Bartleby. She enjoyed the soft crickets making their rhythmless melody, and Morgan humming something like a children's song beside her while reviewing the syllabus for her summoning classes. Scarlet then caught the sound of a knob twisting, and then switched around to find Nicole coming out of a steamy hall with her hair wet and only in a towel.

"Adrian! It's your turn for the showers!" Nicole poked around the corner, finding him still sorting out pots and pans.

Adrian shook his head. "Eeeeh, I've still got to clean this up. What about you guys go first, I'll make dinner and go last."

The young thaumaturge's eyes started to turn for Nicole, but Scarlet quickly shoved in front of her, frantically trying to cover up a fresh-out-of-the-shower Nicole. When Adrian's eyes expected the blonde necromancer, he found a Scarlet, waving her arms around all jumpy, which he just shrugged and returned to replacing the wok to the cabinets.

"Aw, Scarlet~ You're no fun," Nicole pouted.

"He's going to see you!" Scarlet hissed.

"So? He's welcome to see mine anytime!"

"W-Wait, what?"

"Ghouls are such cuties~" Nicole giggled.

"I- …" Scarlet blinks, but just starts to push Nicole to the bedroom.

"Oooh! We're playing choo choo zoo!" Nicole trumpets like a helephant. "BARAAAAG!"

"I swear, this girl sometimes…"

The two girls disappears behind the bedroom door, while Morgan stepped into the view, shaking her head as she watched the fire and death wizards, then turn to her ice wizard friend.

"U-Um… Hi, Adrie…"

Morgan's fingers fidgeted around as she steps onto the kitchen floor, watching Adrian starting to put up the last steel pot, but then turns to face her.

"Oh. Hello, Morgan~"

His arms faltered as he looked around and shrugged. Adrian took the pot up and placed it on his head like a hat.

"Eh? No?" The thaumaturge throws in jazz hands for extra effect.

"Um…" Morgan raised a brow at the strange sight. "What're you doing?"

"Eh…"

He shrugs the situation off as he unequips the pot helm.

"I figured the air would be tense after today, with this whole Mister Malistaire's plans and all. I guess everyone is still up with smiles."

"I guess we forgot about the whole thing, or were just tired." Morgan assured.

She offered Adrian a smile as she took the pot from his hands, letting it sparkle with magic, and the pot floats up into the cabinets.

Adrian mouthed the word wow as he watched. "No wand?"

"Just nice mana flow and contraction."

"So basically making the pot into a wand." Adrian guessed.

"I just imagined little air nymphs lifting the pot for me."

Adrian kept his sights under the pot, watching it slow then drop onto the cabinet. He could barely make out the tiny anomalies in the air as they dispersed after they got the job done.

"So that was conjuration? I don't recall that as a spell…" he murmured.

"I dunno. I just imagine the nymphs, and they come to life. That's the basics of conjuration anyways."

"But you took that directly from your 'dreams.' That isn't all that normal. Was it the same with that bloody spell you used back then?"

"I knew what you meant, Adrie."

Morgan watched her own hands, then down to her casual pants. "Bloodstorm was also a product of my imagination. Is it really not normal?"

"As far as I recall, I don't think even Professor Drake is able to do that. Conjuration is from legends and myths. You… That was like straight out of your imagination…"

"R-Really?" Morgan thought about it hard. "I thought that was just basic conjuration… Th-Then what about you? With that icy fisticuffs you pulled back then."

Adrian smiled nervously at her question. "I don't normally tell a lot of people about it…"

"Is it really that much of a secret?" she awed.

The ice wizard settled back on the countertop. "I'm not exactly fond of the idea of people stealing or copying my creations. But if you really want to know~"

"Well, it certainly is interesting…" Morgan meeped.

Adrian smiled and hung his head back, watching the moths around the kitchen lights.

"Mana infusion. Having mana flow through your bloodstream and muscles, therefore making your blood cells more oxygen-rich and quickening the respiration of your muscle cells, bone, and bone marrow, concluding in the amelioration of your body's endurance, stamina, and strength, overall performance I guess."

"I-…" Morgan was unable to keep up with his words. "Can you speak dumb for me?"

"Oh, sorry. It's basically just having mana in your system. It strengthens your body. That's why I was able to take heavy hits and deal heavy blows. It's also kind of like making my body a wand, so I was easily able to take the air's moisture and cast pure ice magics. Got it?"

"I—… I think so."

"Just think of it as something that makes you tougher, stronger, and a human wand."

"I can get that," Morgan nodded.

"Like, why use magic to create the things you need to use that specific class of magic, when you can just manipulate the things around you to your will? That's- Oh.. I'm nerding out on you, aren't I."

"How do you even manage to get that all in your head?" Morgan marveled.

"I dunno. I was locked in my bedroom for most of my childhood, so I just hit the books because there was nothing better to do," Adrian shrugged.

"Wow, some parents you had," Morgan scoffed.

"Quite, the aristocratic smugs," Adrian agreed.

"Oh yeah, you're Marleybonian. I'm one too!"

"Really? What family?"

Morgan looked away. "Ah, well… I wasn't born all rich family like you were… I mean it was okay, but it was always a struggle. I had to give up luxuries like good food for my younger brothers. That's why I became a wizard… So I can make money, and help my family."

Adrian kept silent when she told her story, putting a hand on her shoulder afterwards, which made Morgan blush and look up to her thaumaturgic friend.

"You know why I became a wizard?"

"Why?"

"Other than magic being interesting, once I become powerful, I'll go back to Marleybone, and show up to the upper-class pigs, to fight and protest for the children of Marleybone, children…"

Morgan was caught off guard by his words of revolt. "You're really going to do that?"

"Hey, I'm not alone… The O'Learys are into it too, as well as the lower-class families."

Morgan inched back a bit. "The O'Learys? Those thieves?"

"Hey, the O'Learys were once the same people like you. They needed to survive too. Not all of them are bad."

"They are? I'd never imagine them like that…" Morgan looked down.

"Didn't expect you to…"

Adrian grew silent, as if he spoke too much about his intentions.

"But anyways, I gotta get to making dinner. And you," Adrian tossed a towel in her arms. "You're next for the showers."

"O-Oh! Oh yeah!" Morgan starts to stammer with a bright blush. "Yeah, me, sh-showering… I-I-"

"AHA!" Scarlet popped out of nowhere, going all ninja pig on the countertop. "So you ARE a pervert!"

"N-No!" Morgan hid behind her towel. "We were just talking about Marleybone!"

"REALLY? You can see it on his face that he's gonna peep onto you in the showers!"

"What?" Adrian blinks. "Is there like some secret?"

"See? He said so! He's a pervert!" Scarlet exclaimed.

"What's a pervert?" Adrian asked.

"He's not- I told you! He's not that kind of person!" Morgan whined.

"Oi, Scarlet," Adrian said, "get off the countertop-"

"Don't worry, Morg! I'm gonna guard the showers for you!" Scarlet assured her.

"Scaaaarlet! He's not going to peep!" Morgan said once again in Adrian's defense.

"Oi…" Adrian cheek twitched in irritation.

"REAAAALLY?" Scarlet asked. "Three girls and a guy! This is obviously some perverted story set-up!"

Morgan pouts. "Scarlet, I'm not-"

"For the love of the Queen-" Adrian threw a wooden pestle at Scarlet, knocking her off the countertop and he grew an olden Marleybonian accent. "-GET OFF ME BLOODY COUNTERTOP, YE SAVAGE!"

Scarlet landed on the floor, growing a knot on her head and a dazed smile on her cheeks. Adrian lost his frown but kept his sternness. He coughed into his fist and dusted off his hand, turning and catching Morgan on the way. He shrugs. His voice was back to a normal accent.

"What? Cooking is serious stuff. No feet in your food." He sighs as his hand went for the vegetable oil.

Nicole popped up behind Morgan, hugging onto her. "Riiight. Never step on the countertops…"

"Eh?" Morgan looked over her shoulder to find Nicole in denim jeans and a cat print t-shirt under a velvet violet Nightingale House cloak.

"Nic? Are you going to go out?" Morgan questioned.

"We still have to report to the Headmaster!" Nicole reminded her. "We'll have to leave as soon as possible."

"We can still wait for dinner, right?" Adrian asked.

He finished layering the pan with oil. His fingers flipped the oven knobs effortlessly, and with weak pyromancy, Adrian lit the oven range to life. He watched Nicole for her response as he pulled up a chopping board and a bag of onions.

"Ooh! Dinner! Yea, sure! Can I lick the batter?" Nicole skipped to the sink, watching Adrian reach for a shining silver knife.

He began to chop at the onions. "Sorry, I can't bake with the little time we have left."

The whites of the onion were diced into tiny cubes and he beat the edge of the knife at the inner onion peels, into fine zests.

"Aaaw." Nicole slooped, but then turned, trotting for the kitchen exit, grabbing Morgan's hand on the way.

"Come on! Let's play!"

"P-Play? Don't you think we're a bit old-"

"Boooooring!" Nicole interrupted.

By hand, Nicole led her out of the kitchen, only turning the corner to go into the main quarters, where Scarlet was sat all dizzy, holding the wooden pestle in her hand. The necromancer pounced on the blue and green bean bag while Morgan settled quietly on the crimson couch by the window.

Nicole stuck a finger in her mouth, deciding on- "What should we play today?"

"I-" Morgan tried to talk her out of it, but settled with just playing along.

"Oooh!" Nicole clapped her hands together. "Cute contest! Whoever summons the cutest thing, wins!"

The necromancer's hand rose up, directing its palm to the direction of the hallway. Morgan watched in confusion, trying to crack out what she was trying to do. Out of the dark hallway, came a double-edged dagger with a curved point, like a hook. A corvo knife. Nicole used it like an alternative wand, tossing it on the coffee table between the bean bag and the couch. The knife didn't clatter on the tabletop. Instead, it hovered directly above, spinning in place.

"How did you use levitation?" Morgan asked. "Furthermore, how did you use that when you couldn't even see it?"

"What are you talking about?" Nicole snorted. "The spirits got 'em for me!"

"Spir-.. Spirits?" Morgan blinked. "What spirits?"

"So you can't see 'em?"

Nicole pointed towards Morgan, which the conjurer flinched a bit. Nicole seemed like she was bickering with someone for a split second, but then she smiled back at Morgan, which she returned with an uncertain look. Suddenly, she felt something cover her eyes, but she could still see. Something was different. It took a while to process, but the blurred images refined their selves. Morgan backed away in horror as she saw a multitude of souls swarming around Nicole. Some were terrifyingly disgusting and horrid, while others were unnecessarily cute and toddler-like. There were only a few who were actually normal-looking. Morgan then noticed something pressing against the back of her head. Her head tilted back to find a child's spirit, who was covering Morgan's eyes with his or her hands. She then figured out that the child was the reason why she could see.

Morgan sputtered her words out, "Nic- N-Nicole! What is this? What're all those souls around you doing?"

"These are my friends! They help me out," Nicole explained.

"You mean these guys fought with you when we were in Unicorn Way?"

Nic shook her head. "They can't actually hurt anybody. They just like to, hang around."

Nicole shot double pistol fingers with an open smile at a ghost with a noose still around his neck, which the ghost shook his head in disappointment.

"But if they can't hurt anybody, then how did they bring the dagger to you?"

"Like I said, they're all too cute to hurt anybody," Nicole said again.

Morgan took it as, _They're all too flimsy or something to fight._

"What what are these spirits doing around you? How'd they get there in the first place-"

Nicole abruptly knocked Morg's words out of the way with her own, producing a smile, a smile that quite didn't seem right.

"My turn. To summon the cutie. I'm always first."

Morgan's eyes shook at her lips, but she nodded along.

"O-Okay…"


	10. 10 - Rattlebones Report

The curve-pointed knife spun in mid-air, half an inch above the coffee table surface, and a death rune drew itself above the spinning corvo knife. The double-edged blade suddenly came to a stop and a black-furred kitten popped out of the death rune's solidified mana. It mewed in confusion and accidently does a somersault off the corvo's grip and onto the table.

"Yay!" Nicole clapped in chipper satisfaction at her new summoning.

_At least it wasn't some creepy baby zombie…_ Morgan thought, as she eyed the multitudes of souls around Nicole.

"Your turn!" Nicole says in excitement.

"R-Right…"

Morgan's fingers slip into the opposite arm's sleeve, pulling out a standard wand. With it, she waves it in the air like she's drawing a triangle. Sure enough, jaunite lines come together from nothingness into a myth rune. Instead of popping, the magic symbol slowly disintegrated into a snake of dust and bunching up into a singularity on the coffee table. From it, the yellow dust sculpted into a baby bat. Its fur was yellowish-white like the moon and the wings were questionable in flight, but still cute altogether as it noticed the black kitten, trying to crawl to the cat while making small squeaks.

Nicole stares at the two animals with her cheeks puffed, unable to take in all the cute in front of her eyes. Instead she just squirms around and squeals as she sprawls herself on the ground.

"Eheh…. Nic?" Morgan sits there with an unsure smile.

She raises her hands over Nicole, but nervousness stopped her altogether. The conjurer sighs instead. In the corner of her eye, Morgan finds Scarlet waking up from her dazed state. The pyromancer shakes her head and finds the tool that knocked her out; a wooden pestle. At first, Scarlet thought about throwing it at Adrian as payback, but instead she puts in on the countertop as she watches him take out some big fish.

_He's probably gonna fish slap me…_ Scarlet thought, then turns to find Morgan and Nicole.

"Hey Morg, did you shower yet?" Scarlet called over.

The conjurer looks up from the baby bat and kitten, shaking her head gently. Her eyes return to a Nicole faceplanting into a coffee table. She leans in beside her ear.

"Um… I'm gonna go shower now…" Morgan whispered to Nic.

Nicole's muffled words sounded out, "Okay!"

Morgan's fingers went for her towel on the red leather couch and rose to her feet.

After Morgan was done showering, Scarlet was up next. Then, four met together afterwards for a quick dinner and with haste, dressed up to report to Merle Ambrose.

"Ugh… I hate going through the tunnels at night," Adrian hissed. He was dressed in a tailed longcoat with slacks, a lavender plaid waistcoat, and shiny black shoes to match.

Scarlet gave the thaumaturge a smirk. "What? Afraid of the dark?" She pulled back on the hood of her traditional Nightingale cloak.

"Well yeah! It's so cramped and dark!" Adrian looked around, not really showing his fear, except for his uncertain irises that shook.

"I- … Oh." Scarlet expect a less blatant reply.

"Ah well, you can just deal with- " She stopped in place and took a gander at the tunnel walls around her.

"Hey, you guys seeing this?" Scarlet asked.

"What?" Morgan and Nicole perked up.

"Aren't the torches usually lit up at this time around?"

Nicole and Morgan glanced at each other, considering Scarlet's statement, while Adrian was behind them, fiddling with his deck of spell cards trying to find an Illumination spell in the dark.

The winds whistled, echoing throughout the cobblestone and brick tunnel, which made Adrian grip onto his deck. A slight draft breezed through the clothes of the wizards.

"A-h-h-h-heeeyegh," Morgan shivered. "Cold."

"That must've been why the lights were out," Nicole suggested.

"Well, we can just relight the torches," Scarlet said.

"Ashen Arts: Smoke Current."

The young pyromancers hand rose up, releasing smoke and ashes. They flowed in the air like rivers or water currents in the air, by either sides of the tunnel walls. Once the smoke currents rested on the torches, Scarlet snapped her fingers, creating a spark that lit up the smoke, ultimately relighting all of the lights in the tunnel.

"See? I guess you could say that was a breeze-"

Scarlet's words came to a halt as a fierce gust swept throughout the tunnels, choking out the flames from the torches, instantly darkening the scene.

"Ooor not." Scarlet frowned.

"Hey Morgan~" Adrian managed to find the card. "Can you cast this for me? I'm no good at conjuration."

Off the corner of her eye, Morgan saw a golden treasure card floating above her shoulder.

"Sure, Adrie."

The conjurer took a look at the card, showing a picture of singularity of light.

Illumination, Morgan thought to herself. Her wand glowed within her sleeve, and the treasure card burned up into yellow flames, reforming to become a fire fly. It shined brightly in her palm.

"Thaaanks," Adrian said.

"Where'd you even get this card?" Morgan asked.

"Think a guy left it in this book I read. 'Theories of Atomos Anatomy."

"He just did not geek out on us," Scarlet scoffed.

"Neeerrrd," Nicole sang.

Adrian made a bewildered face. "What? I thought everyone knew about Democritus' Atomos-"

"Um," Morgan interrupted, trying save Adrian by changing the subject. "Let's just move on."

"Better than getting lectured on science," Scarlet agreed.

Adrian puffed his cheeks.

"I'm-not-a-nerd," he muttered.

The four young wizards made their way out of the dark, windy tunnel. They kept on about the eerie way from Ravenwood to the Commons, until moonlight shined upon their heads and they watched the stars hung by Grandmother Raven while continuing on the cobblestone path to the Headmaster's Office.

_Knock knock knock._

The starry, pointed purple hat behind the mountains of paperwork, twitched at the sound of the door. The mountains of paperwork glittered in magic as they moved aside for Merle Ambrose to answer the knocking.

Merle started to speak, "Do come in-"

The door bursted open as the four novice fell into the room. Befuddled, Ambrose watched as the four got up and dusted themselves off.

"That's the last time you'll try to summon snacks!" Scarlet complained.

"Didn't you have enough to eat back at the dorms?"

"Dinner time was too short!" Nicole complained.

"I-…." The Headmaster raised a finger. "Pardon me but, how does summoning snacks lead up to this commotion?"

"Tried to summon it from a magical pocket I guess," Nicole shrugged. "My spellbook's backpack was full."

"Why was it full?" Adrian questioned.

"Remember that ice beetle you summoned back then in Unicorn Way?"

"What, you actually kept it?"

"SSSHHH!" Nicole's arms flapped around. "Her name is Sir Cuddly Icy Poofybutt!"

"You…" Morgan raised an eyebrow. "Okay the name's a thing, but it was actually a she-beetle and you named her a sir?"

Scarlet cleared her throat loudly to silence her friends. "ANYWAYS, we're back from Unicorn Way with a report, Headmaster."

Ambrose waved it away. "I hear that you have found a solution to the Fairy corruption. Unfortunately, Wizard City is not out of peril just yet. All is at risk!"

"Well yeah, that's what we came to tell you," Scarlet explained.

The pyromancer informs the Headmaster about Rattlebones and his words.

A hand stroked down Ambrose's white, fluffy beard as he stacked thoughts upon Scarlet's report.

"So, Malistaire has designs on bringing Wizard City to its knees? This does not bode well. We still need to be on guard lest his evil plans succeed. Thank you, Nightingale girls, for all that you have done."

"And guy!" Nicole frantically points at Adrian.

"Is this really necessary?" Adrian complained.

"Ahah, apologies, Kensington."

A smile formed under the Headmaster's thick beard.

"But alas, another apology. These dark forces at work recent has indeed made things… disorderly. I do not believe your enrollment was fully organized, Adrian. Am I right?"

The thaumaturge tilts his head and nods.

"As you should know," Ambrose went on, "There are seven magic instructors here in Ravenwood. You should visit each of them to get to know them better. I'll send an upperclassman to guide you on your little tour next morning."

"Um…" Adrian looks around awkwardly at his friends, then back at the Headmaster. "Alright, sure."

The Headmaster tries to reassure Adrian with a smile, but was hidden under his snow-white beard.

"Now young wizards, please listen here," he called out.

The four leaned their ears in.

"Please do keep this situation about Rattlebones and Malistaire in utmost confidential. I fear if word gets out, the students of Ravenwood will fall to panic," Ambrose explained.

"But," Scarlet perked up. "We're only novices. We handled our quest well. There are bound to be students stronger than us. They should be able to handle this whole evil thing too."

"Well, dear students. I'm not sure if you should take this for good news but, you four are already proven to be stronger than most initiates; a rare occurrence in centuries. I hope this continues, for most students in Ravenwood do not have the same fighting ability as you four do. Magic dueling and magic battles are two different things."

Ambrose's eyes turned to his crystal ball, showing a bit of worry.

"There are few students here in Ravenwood that can prove their worth in magic battles, a situation where your lives are on the line. While in magic duels; you only feel the sensation of your opponents' spells, and not the pain and damage."

Stress built up in Morgan's eyebrows as she heard the words. "You mean, we are the only ones who can do this thing? This… stop-the-evil-rebel-professor-thing?"

The headmaster shook his head. "No, but you four, are the ones I trust with this evil plan in motion."

"Hey! You hear that? We can save Wizard City!" Scarlet smiled back at her friends. "We're like the strongest in Ravenwood!"

Ambrose shook his head frantically. "Not the strongest, my dear. You are the only ones who can do it. No, let me rephrase; who _could_ do it. But let me remind you, when the time calls… You four, along with a few others, are the only hope for Wizard City."

"But," Morgan thought. "Why can't the other professors join in on this thing?"

The Headmaster shook his head again. "No. We of the Ravenwood Faculty, must keep the students in order and keep the peace, lest the students panic and Wizard City falls into chaos."

Scarlet spoke up, "Why don't we get all the students in on this? More strength in numbers, right?"

"I'm afraid if we do…" Ambrose turns to his crystal once again, with the image of Ravenwood shimmering within. "If we do put the students into the ranks… It is all too risky. Their studies are not enough to prepare themselves to what is to come. Malistaire's strength in magic is a force to be reckoned with."

Merle turned to the four young wizards with a flame of determination in his eye left uncovered by his monocle.

"Young wizards, you must become stronger. Harden your magic beyond your studies. Worst comes to worst, you may have to achieve power stronger than the instructors of Ravenwood."

Morgan gulped in fear. Adrian hands clenched in. Scarlet's heart was mixed with accelerating excitement and distress. Even Nicole held a dismayed shine in her eyes.

"Young wizards…" Ambrose said.

"The Looms of Fate has either spelled glory, or tribulation upon you."


	11. 11- The Other Guy in the Girl's Dorms

Her eyelids struggled to open. Scarlet's amber eyes barely slipped a peek through them, then was finally able to see the ceiling in the dark. She sighs under her blanket and digs the back of her head into her pillow, trying to find the time out of the window.

"It's night… or before dawn?" she mumbled to herself.

She blindly guides her hand to her endtable, reaching for a stick wrapped in fine cloth and silk. Once the wand slipped in her hands, Scarlet strikes the tip toward where the clock would be. Sure enough, the clock was high on the wall, glowed, showing silhouettes of the clock's hands.

"Five-fourty," she thought to herself aloud.

Scarlet uncovered herself of her blanket. She was in her yellow-starred red pajamas. Out of the corner of her eye, she finds a dim light. Scarlet turns her head over to her left side, finding Adrian awake in his bed. He was in a pirate blouse and red, plaid boxers, with some kind of glowing, floating crystal near him as he read a book. On the cover, it says Quantum Gateways to Slip-space, by H.G. Waggs and The Professor.

"Adriaaaan…." Scarlet moaned. " You're the first one up. You were supposed to wake us up. It's five-fourty."

Adrian barely rotated his head to find a drowsy pyromancer in her bed. "Oh, sorry. I got caught up in this book."

"What time did you wake up?"

Adrian chuckles nervously. "Actually, I didn't sleep at all."

Scarlet was too tired to be surprised. "Seriously? Was it because what the Headmaster said about us and saving Wizard City?"

"Naw. I thought I would read a bit then I lost track of time."

"You don't even know what a pervert is, then you lose track of time over a book. You clearly aren't natural."

"I didn't expect so," Adrian shrugged."

Scarlet squints at the light by Adrian. "By the way, what's that floaty glowy thingy by you?"

"Oh this? Is just a toy," Adrian summed up lazily.

Suddenly, the 'toy' chirped and made sounds like distorted raindrops.

"Yeah yeah, shut up," Adrian moaned into his book.

Scarlet got up on her arms. "Did that thingy just say something? You understood that?"

"T'was telling me to go sleep over and over, then to wake you guys up," Adrian shrugged.

"Guess you had better listen to that 'toy' more often," Scarlet smirked.

"I guess." Adrian sighs and shuts his book. His eyes went up again to the clock. "Five fourty two… Welp, I might as well start making breakfast."

His attention then shifts to his floating reading light. "Dorothy, off. Oh and hide yerself in the cloak and go offline."

The crystal thing did as it was told, then made more distorted sounds of raindrops dropping and warped scratches.

"Where'd you even get that?" Scarlet asked.

"I made it a while back. I guess it's more of a pet than a toy if you will."

Adrian swoops his head a bit, swinging his silver bangs out of the way then got out off his bed, making his way to the kitchen.

"Well… I think I should wake 'em up now," Scarlet thought aloud.

She turns to the bed adjacent to Adrian's. "Morgan! Wake up!"

The cobalt and yellow nightcap fell off Morgan as she moaned and sat up, then Scarlet switched to the bed next to her's, calling for Nicole to wake up as well. One of her green eyes popped open, and another one follows. Nicole the Necromancer instantly sprung out of bed like a spring under pressure for centuries, with a smile not even a theurgist could match. She was in pajamas with a bunny eared hood .

She yelled in excitement, "BREAKFAST TIIIIIIME-"

"Is not ready," Adrian's voice said from out of the room.

"Aw… Buzzkill."

Nicole plops back in her bed and instantly went to snoring, to which Scarlet slaps her back hard.

"Come on, sunshine," Scarlet irked. "Wake up!"

"EEEK!" Nicole flashes out of bed, rubbing her back and makes haste for the bathroom. But she comes back, slowly walking backwards into the doorway, grabbing her towel, then made haste for the bathroom.

"The showers…" Scarlet thought. "Hey Morgan, do want next shower?"

"Hmm?" Morgan finally got up to sit on the side of her bed, rubbing the sleeps out of her eyes. "If it's okay with you. You were the last of us to shower last night, weren't you?"

"No, Adrian was last," Scarlet answered. "Besides, I have a few things to do. Prep my hair up, you know."

"I took you to be more of a tomboy or something, Scarly."

"Keep up appearances, keep up your charisma, keep up your confidence, keep down those fizzle rates. What Professor Falmea taught us," Scarlet recalled.

"Makes sense I guess." Morgan shrugs and yells subtly out the doorway. "Adrian! Do you wanna shower after Nicole?"

"Not showering!" Adrian yelled back. Morgan could faintly hear a spoon beating against a bowl as he responded.

Scarlet rolls her eyes. "Boys. Showering like what, only once a day. Monkeys."

Morgan smiles, shaking her head and chuckling, "He's already so fine, that he doesn't have to be worried about how he looks," she thinks aloud.

"See, I told you. You like Adrian," Scarlet teased.

"I do not!"

The doorbell rang only so faintly that Scarlet and Morgan were able to hear it. They both went to answer it, sliding the chain and turning the dial on the knob. The ornate, violet-mahogany door opened to reveal a light but bright blue haired boy in a dark blue cloak. His skin was slightly dark. His eyes matched his hair, only being more content with cerulean, but his hat hung over, covering his left eye in shadow.

"A guy? In the girls' dormitory? What are you doing here," Scarlet scoffed.

The blue-haired person turned a bit bashful, or at least seemed like it. "I'm here for the other guy in the girl's dormitory."

"Huh?" Morgan looked back to the kitchen, then to the guy. "You mean Adrian? Adrian Kensington?"

"Pfft, Adrian's been the talk of the school ever since he's moved in here," Scarlet commented.

"Someone called?" Sure enough, the silver-haired thaumaturge appeared around the corner with a spatula in one hand, and a pan in the other. The frying pan still had an omelet being cooked on it.

"Whaaaaat? He cooks for you guys?" the blue-haired wizard gawked.

"Heh." Scarlet gave the newcomer a teasing smile. "Jealous?"

"For a second, I thought that guy was a girl! With that high voice and hair," the blue haired guy commented. "Only he's like more… hunky? And… he's in boxers."

"We got used to it," Morgan shrugs, but then glances over to Scarlet in realization. "Well, not everyone."

"Who's the new guy?" Adrian questioned.

"Uh yeah, Headmaster Ambrose sent me to give you a tour of Ravenwood and a few parts of Wizard City," the boy explained. "My name is Alexander Mythshade, of the Golden Perytons. You guys can call me Alex if you'd like."

"Mythshade… Myth, shade." Morgan repeated. "W-Wait, you mean you're the elite initiate conjurer, Alexander Mythshade?"

"Eheh…" Alex rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"What's the deal with him?" Scarlet asked indignantly.

"Elite initiate, Scarlet. He's one of the four elite initiate wizardly students! That includes the prefect of the Green Peregrines!"

"Ooooh," Scarlet nodded. "So? Besides, what's an initiate doing being a prefect?"

"That just goes to show how strong Ashley is. Ashley Breeze," Alex answered.

"Yyyyyeah, I'm only a novice so this is my first year here. Don't know these 'famous' students." Scarlet smirks. "And I don't plan to know them. I'm gonna surpass them all."

Alex left behind his bashful demeanor, scoffing and returning the confident grin. "Have fun getting past Ashley. She's not a person you'd want to fight."

"Oh yeah?" Scarlet steps up to Alex. "Where's this pal of yours, bud? Prefect or not, I'll own 'em all."

"Heh, you'd have to get through three of us before you step up to Ash, bud."

"Scarleeeet," Morgan hissed. "Staaahp."

"Yyyyyyeaaah well," Adrian looks around lazily. "I'm kind of busy here. Still making breakfast soooo…"

The thaumaturge steps back into the kitchen, whistling a tune.

"I'm so sorry for Scarlet's behavior, Mister Alex." Morgan steps in between Alex and Scarlet, nudging Scarlet away.

"Eh. Don't worry about it," Alex says. "I like her spirit."

"Damn right, you do," Scarlet smiled.

"Scarlet!" Morgan hissed again. "Well anyways, Alexander, why don't you join us for dinner?"

"R-Really?" Alex looks over Morgan's shoulder to see the rest of the dorm. It was spacious and elegant with a nice window behind a leather couch. There was also a crystal-vision mirror above the fireplace.

"I'm fine really. I can manage-" Alexander's belly grumbled.

"Sounds like you didn't have breakfast." Scarlet says. "It's not good to fight on an empty stomach next time you're up against me~"

"Heh," Alex smirks and walks in. "Alright, thanks for the meal then. Oh and for your lil' challenge, I'll bite."

Alex paused with a smile, waiting for someone to get his joke.

"Anyone?"

"You're worse than my friends," Scarlet laughed.

After the girls were done with showering and dressing, they met up at the dining table with Alex. Scarlet wore the standard off-day uniform, a black sweater vest with the Ravenwood emblem on it with a light red, long-sleeved shirt under to match her magic school colors. Normally, girls would wear skirts but she chose tight, black pants instead. Morgan styled herself in a pink, flower-print shirt with a grey, loose, long-sleeved cardigan over it. For bottom wear, she had a black short skirt with the pink-laced ends with plaid, pink and dark red thigh high socks. Nicole wore a black t-shirt with a band on it and ripped jeans, an outfit that Wizard City isn't so familiar with. Adrian was finishing setting down the last dish. The table was lined with five plates of omelette-style Valencian toast with raspberries and cabbage-rolled shrimp. On the side was apple slices in mint custard, and placed in the middle was brioche à la cannlle au chocolat; chocolate cinnamon rolls. They were all lined up as if the dorm had 50 butlers from Barkingham Palace.

"This is ridiculous," Alex stared in disbelief.

"Heh! I don't think you'll get service like this anywhere else!" Scarlet bragged, nudging Alex with an elbow.

"How… How does he even know who to- …."

Adrian was wiping his hands with a white towel with his loose sleeves rolled up. "It was a good childhood being locked up in your room with nothing but books," Adrian said, shrugging.

Morgan smiled delight and had her hands together pressed to her chest, giggling lightly. "The food is certainly good. Please, enjoy," she beckoned to the table.

Scarlet waited for Alex to sit politely, while she was holding Nicole back, who was jumping and drooling for the food. Soon, the rest sat at the table, except for Adrian, who went to get dressed.

"Well," Alex starts, as he bites off a piece of Valencian toast. "At least I have half the day off with showing the new guy around Wizard City."

"We get the whole day off~" Scarlet grins.

"Whaaat. This food, now the whole day off? What did you guys do to deserve this?"

"Well, Adrian is just doing his thing, and yesterday… Well, we worked really, really hard, I guess. The Headmaster let us off today," Scarlet explains.

"We fought ghosties and skellies in Unicorn Way!" Nicole blurted out, with her mouth full.

Scarlet and Morgan stared Nicole, who had disobeyed Ambrose's order to not say anything about Unicorn Way.

"Wait," Alex paused. "So you were the guys who were sent to Unicorn Way?"

"Uh…." Morgan settled down her silverware. "Yeah."

"So there rumors were true. You guys must be pretty strong then," Alex suggested.

Scarlet determines it was safe to talk about the subject. "I burned 'em all up!" she boasted. "Those blankets and bones can't handle this hot stuff~"

"So what happened other than you guys battling away the ghosts and skeletons?" Alex asked.

"Eheh… Well we aren't exactly supposed to tell anyone," Morgan says apologizingly.

Alexander 's eyes… well only visible eye, tried to figure out why, but he shakes it off and tries the chocolate cinnamon roll. The taste melted all over the yearning taste buds.

"My god, this is amazing!" He shivered to the overwhelming sweetness.

"Heeey Morgan, can I have your shrimps?" Nicole asked in a cute voice.

Morgan nodded and slid her plate to Nicole, which the necromancer took it up and let the cabbage-rolled shrimp slide onto her plate.

"Yummy!" Nicole chirped.

"So guys," Scarlet started. "What should we do with our free day?"

"Hallowe'en is coming soon," Morgan said. "We could go to the Shopping District to get the festivities!"

"Yeah, that could work," Scarlet nodded. "What about you Nic?"

"Pet snacks for Sir Fluffy Icybutt!" Nicole yelled, raising a fork.

"I don't think that's what you named the ice beetle," Morgan mumbles.

"I don't care! Sir Chirps Snowybutt the Sexiest Cheeks!"

"The ice beetle is a girl-" Morgan stops herself, telling herself it was not worth it. "Alright, Sir Chirps it is."

Alex looks weirdly at Nicole then turned to Scarlet like he was saying What's with her?

I don't know, Scarlet shrugged.

Adrian came out of the dark hallway and pulled in by the table for breakfast. He was finely dressed in black slacks, dress shirt, and plaid, lavender waistcoat with a short, dark, navy blue cloak on his shoulder and down his back.

"Hey, so are you ready for your tour of Wizard City-slash-Ravenwood?" Alexander asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sure." He smiles at Alex but then looks down to a flipped-open chain watch and puts it away within his waistcoat. "How long do you suppose the tour will take?"

"Half of the school day? Four hours I suppose, then I go back to my classes," Alex shrugs.

"Oh, jaunty-time," Adrian settled, but then went for his silverware so he could eat.

"So I'm guessing you're a conjurer," Scarlet points out.

"What else could I be? Mythshade. Peculiar name Mister Ambrose gave me. Or Book of Secrets," Alex rambled. "Eh. I don't believe I know you girls' names."

"What?" Scarlet gave him an accusing look. "Trying to pick up some girls-"

Morgan coughed and stared down Scarlet, which she rolled her eyes and lazied back into her seat.

"My name is Scarlet Night. Pyromancer, novice, and swords- Eh, nevermind."

Morgan sipped into her tea and cleared her throat. "Morgan Mistblade. Also a conjurer. Novice. Marleybonian."

Nicole jumped up in her seat and raised her hand. "Ooh! Ooh!"

Alexander looked around, then tilted his head at Nicole. "Umm, you." He points at her.

"My name's Nicole Soulthief. I'mma necromancer and part-time theurgist! Novice, and uh… I'm Earthling… I dunno if that sounds right. How about just from Earth?"

"Wow," Alexander gawked. "I'm from Earth too!"

"What's Earth like?" Scarlet asked.

"There's no magic," Alex says.

"Everything there is like… runs on electricity; a lot more technological than the worlds of the Spiral. Also waaaaay much bigger!" Nicole adds on.

She spreads her arms apart to raise her point.

"Technology?" Adrian perked up.

"Hey Adrie! Why don't you introduce yourself Alex? You know, like all formal," Morgan suggests.

"Um well," Adrian turns to the side to find Alex. "My name is Adrian Faulkner Kensington. Thaumaturge and part necromancer. Also a frost and tempest magician. Novice, I guess. Marleybonian."

"Frost? Tempest? Magician?" Alex stumbles at the new terms.

"Wysterian stuff," Adrian shrugs.

"I don't like those Wysterian folk too much," Scarlet complains. "They don't make up to be what they say."

Adrian nods. "A bunch of cheaters, really."

"Heh, I bet that's why they keep winning the Spiral Cup," Alex scoffs.

"Spiral Cup?" Morgan questions.

"Every year, they hold a tournament Spiral-wide. Each school of magic sends a representative to duel it out," Alexander explains.

"I'm not much for dueling. I'd rather battle," Adrian mutters.

"I'm going to have to agree with Adrian on that one," Scarlet agrees.

"I wonder if Headmaster Ambrose will consider that idea," Alex muses. "After all, there is no lifelines in magic battles."

Scarlet and Adrian share an unnatural smile.

Adrian's fingers tapped on the table with unrest. "Fighting with your life on the line?"

"What could be more thrilling than that?" Scarlet finished his words.

Alexander and Morgan stares at Scarlet and Adrian. They both had feelings of worry and disturbance in their eyes, while Nicole kept stuffing herself with omelet toast and shrimp, making sounds of satisfaction.

"Hey, we should spar sometime," Scarlet suggests.

Adrian glances over to his pyromantic friend and raises a fist toward her. "Bump on it, when we can."

Scarlet went along with the brofist. Morgan watched the two, wondering if they always had this spirit of battle, then peeks a bit at Nicole gobbling down her food like a hearty queen.

"Scarlet, like, you were hesitant to go to Unicorn Way," Morgan pointed out. "Now, youwant to get into stuff?"

"Hey, you know, I've never battled before. I've only just cast spells for the class. It was boring."

"But you know, you'll get hurt and stuff."

"Battling like that really fires you up, don't you know? Adventuring onto the dangerous streets, or even in another world! Live tomorrow without knowing what's going to happen!"

Morgan paused, and then brings up the words of gallows. "But, you could die!"

"So?" Adrian put blatantly.

"So? It's your lives we're talking about!" Morgan went on.

Scarlet pops a custard-dipped apple slice into Morgan's lips, silencing her. "We know the risks, Morg. That's why we know that if we fight, we put our all into it. Besides, we're on the quest to save Wizard City, so of course we're going to risk our lives."

Morgan pressures on the subject with thought, then nods along.

"Now eat up, we got the day ahead of us," Scarlet smiled. She pushes in the rest of the apple slice past Morgan's lips with a finger, only to make Alex, at the other side of the table, blush into his food, but then immediately noticed their recent words.

"Hold on now," Alex poked in. "Save Wizard City? Quest?"

"Ooooooh," Scarlet sounded in realization.

"Mister Ambrose, he told us that- Excuse me," Nicole swallows down her toast. "Mister Ambrose told us that we were one of the only ones who could save Wizard City!"

"Really? But you're novices! You guys are only like a quarter of a year into your studies," Alexander pointed out.

"That's what we said too," Morgan explained. "But, we aren't total novices. I mean sure, we only demonstrated rank one spells in class but I'm sure we all had some playing around with magic before Ravenwood."

Morgan glances next to Scarlet. "She's got a way with wielding a sword."

"H-Hey," Scarlet says surprised.

Morgan then points to Adrian. "He's been to Pigswick and already made up a bunch of magic of his own.

Adrian sheepishly waves, but his face doesn't really show it.

"And Nicole…" Morgan stares at the spirits that were still around her. "She was able to easily cast multiple dark fairies and ghouls."

"Mamphs wimph!" Nicole spoke with her mouth full: That's right!

Adrian looks to Morgan. "And Morgan here, from what I gathered, she can create anything from imagination. It's impressive."

"W-Well not everything," Morgan blushed.

Alex mouths 'wow' or something. "It would take a great deal of mana to create something big," he assumed. "A batch of unique wizards this year."

"You really think so?" Morgan asks.

Alexander nods approvingly and Scarlet smiles off in the corner.

"Well, it was a good breakfast," Scarlet says. "I think we should get going."

"This is more than a breakfast, this is practically a buffet," Alex comments.

"Moms told me that a big breakfast and smaller meals afterwards means always being fit," Adrian throws out, and Morgan nods along.

"Really?" Alex slid back in his chair and crossed his legs. "I'll keep that in mind. But I can't help myself if there's good food."

"I can see what you mean," Scarlet chuckles, as her eyes turned to Nicole, who was still eating up as much as she can.

"Where do you think all that food goes if she's skinny all the time?" Morgan asks in wonder.

"Probably her breasts," Scarlet blurts.

"But she has a small bust," Alex points out.

"Why are we talking about this?" Morgan blushes harder.

"I think she's part humongofrog," Adrian says, a bit intrigued.

"The booty. It all goes to the booty," Scarlet says, letting her fist fall into her palm like she just figured something out.

"Scarlet!" Morgan stammers.

Adrian perks up from his train of thought. "Are you going to be a pirate for Hallowe'en, Scarlet?"

"I dunno, but I'd better swab that deck for the booty," Alexander snickers. "AAAAAAAAY! L'mao."

Scarlet snickers along. Morgan's face grew steaming red, while Nicole also goes ahead and says," AAAAAAY! L'mao."

"L'mao?" Adrian and Morgan asks in unison.

"They're probably both part cat," Scarlet laughs.

"Brah," Nicole says, somehow sitting next to Alex with an arm on his shoulder. "The memes, bruh."

"Aw, should've bring sunglasses for this," Alexander laughs.

"Earth people are weird," Scarlet says as she gets up with her plate.

"W-W-W-Wait, hold on," Nicole says, sliding back on her chair. She immediately pops up on her feet and twists to see down and behind.

"Well, the booty looks quite fine."

Morgan sighs. Her fingers massage the bridge of her nose as she looks down with eyes closed, feeling disappointed. Alex's blush burns even brighter at the sight and looks away, as Adrian chuckles along, not really knowing what was going on with the whole 'booty' business. The five finished cleaning their plates and finally finished dressing up for the fall weather outside.

Alex goes up to the door, but then glances back, "Ready for the little tour, Adrian?"

"You're the guide," Adrian shrugged and smiled. The young thaumaturge also looks behind . "Hey guys, where are you going to be at… say twelve o' clock?"

The words grab at Morgan's attention then she discusses the matter with Scarlet.

"I think we'll be… around Eudora Tangletree's Shop in Olde Town," Scarlet answers.

Adrian glances back to Alex, "So I guess we finish the tour there?"

The initiate conjuror shrugs. "It works."

The two guys open the door and leaves into the hallways of the Nightingale Girls' Dormitory. Nicole still had a shrimp in her mouth as she struggled to pull a boot up her leg on the couch, consequently falling backwards like a klutz. A giggle escape Morgan's lips as she caught sight of Nicole's little trip-up.

"So girls," Morgan calls. "I think we all agree to going to Pet Pavillion first? For uh…"

"Sir Chirps Snowybutt the Sexiest Cheeks?" Scarlet finishes.

"How did you even manage to remember that?"

"Who couldn't?

"Me obviously, and what's with 'the Sexiest Cheeks?' I don't recall ice beetles having cheeks."

"Ah, but her other pair of cheeks!" Nicole chimes in.

"Oh…" Morgan pouts on it. "OH."

"C'mon guys," Scarlet calls for the two. "Let's just gather our crowns and do the shopping already. "

"Hallowe'en isn't going to wait for us."


	12. 12 - A Challenge is Made

"Here you go!"

A girl in magenta robes with blonde, rounded pigtails, hands a large, rectangular box to Nicole.

"Here are the packs of rock candy and fried worms for your ice beetle," Jackie Whisperflame says.

"Please, do come again to the West Ende Girls Pet Snack Shop," a masked girl in white and green robes says. On her name tag, was Dusty Shadowcloud.

"Thanks!" Nicole calls back to them. The necromancer walks out of the snack shop with the cumbersome box, to find Scarlet and Morgan outside, observing the different pets lined up for derby races. Nicole trots up to them and lets her miniature spellbook plop out from her pocket. The book grows in size, way bigger than a thick dictionary.

"Guys, help me fit this box into my backpack," Nicole requests.

"Here, let me carry it. Open your backpack," Scarlet offers.

Nicole lets the big box onto Scarlet's hand, and then takes her staff from Morgan. The spiraled end of the staff touched the pages of Nicole's open spellbook, and a portal opens.

"Yeah, yep, that's right. Lower," Nicole says, as she gets up to guide Scarlet, who was setting down the oversized pet snack box into the portal to Nicole's magic backpack. It was a snug fit, but after some hard work, Nicole, Morgan, and Scarlet managed to stuff the big box into the backpack's portal.

"So pet snacks are done," Morgan says as she crosses it off her mental list. "Next is for us to buy bats and cobwebs and such for the dorms."

"So to Spooky Bob's wagon we go?" Scarlet suggests.

The conjurer nods. The three girls make their way out of Pet Pavillion through the tunnel. As they come out, the three find that dawn was no longer and the sun peeked from the horizon, starting to take off its orange drapes. The Commons wasn't too crowded. Students were hanging out by the lamp posts. The old seagull was fishing by the Rainbow Bridge, humming with a piece of straw hanging by his beak. It was more than quiet enough for the birds to tweet their songs. Morgan, Nic, and Scarlet made their way through the tunnel by the Headmaster's place, and out into the Shopping District. It was like village with shops lined up on the sides of the streets, with clotheslines decorated with clothes and Hallowe'en décor above. They approached a skeleton dressed in fine, but torn clothes, silent and inanimate as he lay on the streets, propped up on a wheel of a gypsy's schooner, a prairie wagon. It had an orange cover and purple, peltogyne wood for the wagon bed. Spooky Bob the Skeleton, stirred in his rest. His bony fingers grasped at his pumpkin staff, and he rose onto his feet. His voice was like a scarecrow's and eyes void of light.

"Welcome, children, to my shop!" Spooky Bob invited.

The skeleton walked towards Scarlet and her friends in an enticingly unbalanced manner.

"May I interest you in costumes? Decorations? Wands? Staves? Heheh… Candy?"

"Decorations! Bats! Cobwebs! Banner ish thingies! And… yeah! Costumes!" Nicole chanted. "Oh and by any chance, do you have neon lightsticks?"

"Neon?" Bob asks. "Well, I do not know what this neon is, but I do have lightsticks, along with the other goods you have requested for!"

The skeleton vendor snaps his fingers toward his wagon, or at least tries, as he had no skin to make the sound from. At the barely audible sound of his finger bones grinding, banners started flying out of his wagon like snakes, with bags of cobweb and bats. Tombstones popped out of the ground around the wagon, lawn decoration ghosts floated out from its stores like authentic specters, even bags with a witches and broomsticks inside went on display. _Witches Crashing into a Pole Pack_ was what it said on the label. Metal sticks with clothes hangers on them hovered around the wizardly three, and costumes of all sorts materialized on the clothes hangers.

"Feel free to browse! But as always, you come here for my goods, I come here for your crowns!" Spooky Bob says with a peppy tone.

"But tis certainly shame this Hallowe'en season. All the streets are blocked off because of these dark times. It was miraculous that Unicorn Way reopened yesterday evening! Now if the same could be said about Colossus Boulevard and the Three Streets…"

"Don't worry!" Nicole chimed.

Spooky Bob's head perked up. "Hrm?"

Nicole glanced back at her friends with a smile, then back to Bob. "I'm sure someone will come and save the streets."

"Well," Spooky Bob says, crossing his arms. "I do hope such things happen! But anyways, enough with this gloomy, mushy atmosphere! Go! Go! Did you not come here for Hallowe'en supplies?"

Scarlet starts to speak. "Well yeah but-"

The skeleton swings his arm behind him, displaying two large booths with doors and locks.

"Go ahead, try the costumes. There are dressing rooms ready for you! I actually remembered to bring 'em this Hallowe'en! I don't have much of a memory because I've no brain! Bwahahahaha!"

"That joke was worse than Alex's," Scarlet muttered.

The three gathered all the supplies as needed. Bags of candy were also bought to hand out during Hallowe'en, but Nicole kept drooling over the bag, so that was a no. With the remaining free time, they browsed to try out different costumes.

"How's this?" Scarlet stood triumphantly with cutlass in hand, worn out boots, striped Elizabethen breeches, pirate blouse, and all that. A terror of the seas. A pirate.

"Needs more belts," Morgan suggested.

Scarlet gathers a bunch more belts of leather and tassels, having about five around her hip, one from her shoulder, and twelve around her neck. "How about now?"

"Perf," Nic and Morgan say in unison.

Nicole had a black, hooded, torn cloak like a wraith's. The wings were well made but the only exception was… She had bunny ears to top her crown and giant paws. A bunny wraith.

"I am now the queen of everything," Nicole announced, proud of her costume taste.

"Where's your scythe?" Scarlet asked.

"Oh I've got that taken care of~" Nicole sticks out a tongue and giggles mischievously.

Morgan's costume was probably the most normal of all, though it was the complete opposite of what a student of balance would wear. Morgan wore a loose blouse under a burgundy corset with golden cogs and clockwork embroidery on it. She wore thin, striped trousers with the left leg cut off. On that leg was a dark red knee sock. Both feet had tall, leather boots and on her left hip had half a short skirt. Her outfit was finished with long, burgundy gloves and a top hat with goggles. She was like a steampunk Mad Hatter. Scarlet whistles at the look, while Nicole gawked at how fine the costume was.

"It doesn't fit you, but you look totally awesome in it," Scarlet approved with an eager smile.

Morgan giggles into her wrist. "When I was little, my aunt joined an expedition to a strange world sunken in water. I've always wanted to be an explorer like her. But, now I'm a wizard. Although, we're still going places I guess."

She takes off her top hat. "We're going to save Wizard City before Hallowe'en. We aren't going to have our season ruined, right?"

"I won't let anybody take my candy!" Nicole shouted with a strong fist.

"Heh, we can bet on that," Scarlet smirked with a sparkling incisor.

"Hey, y'know, we haven't got a costume for Adrian yet," Nicole brought up.

"Well you know how he wears all that aristocratic clothing?" Scarlet asks. "He could be a vampire!"

"Hmm," Morgan thought on it. "Well he has silver hair. He could also make a good angel!"

"I guess we can just bring both for him to try out," Nicole suggested.

"We can buy one of his costumes and put the other on his tab. He says he has lots of crowns anyways," Scarlet plans.

"But we didn't ask Adrian," Morgan pointed out.

"Knowing him, eeeeh, I'm sure he won't mind," Scarlet smiles. "Now c'mon, we have to get out of these costumes and check 'em out."

"Well…" Morgan held a worried look. "Alright then, but if he gets upset, it's all on you."

"Pfft, you like him but you know him less than me!"

"Scarlet!"

The three get back into their normal outfits through the changing booths then checks out the transaction with Spooky Bob.

"That'll be one hundred 'n twenty one crowns, m'dears," Spooky Bob confirms as he spins his pumpkin staff, leaning on a cash register on a table.

"Ooh, that's a lot. It must be the costumes," Scarlet summed up. The pyromancer brings up the crowns that were distributed from the three of them plus Adrian and a bit extra from Scarlet in place for Adrian's second costume.

"Hundred ten, fifteen… twenty!" Scarlet grabs a wad of crowns out of the bundle and hands it to the skeleton salesman.

"Would've been easier if you had a credit card," Nicole murmured as she rubbed her bunny ears on her cheek.

"What's a credit card?" asked Morgan.

"Eh.. Nevermind."

"Probably just Earth stuff," Scarlet assumed, which she was right. "Well, it's two before noon. You guys want to head back to the dorms to rest a bit?"

"Sure~" Morgan and Nicole says in unison.

Morgan crouches down with a glittering piece of chalk that she must've summoned. With it, she draws an X within a circle on the cobblestone street, and then places her palm on it, transferring her mana into the chalk marks.

"What are you doing?" Scarlet asks.

"Setting down a marker, that way, I can just teleport back so we can continue to Eudora's Crafting Shop in Olde Town from here," Morgan explains.

"Smart," Scarlet shrugs.

"I suggest you guys should do the same," Morgan adds in.

The pyromancer and necromancer follows along, repeating after Morgan.

Scarlet frowns and huffs, "How do I activate the marker like you did, Morg?"

Nicole already got the idea of how to do it, but she ends up making the chalk poof into a cloud of chalk, making her cough.

"Eck," Nicole coughed.

"Guys," Morgan called. "You've got to think something like, _'I want to come back here'_. Now imagine those words in a bubble of mana, flowing from your brain, through your arms, out the palm of your hand, and into the chalk."

"Worth a try," Scarlet shrugs. "Hold on, then what did Nicole do?"

"I just figured I let my mana into the chalk like Morg said," Nicole explains, as she successfully imbues mana into her chalk marker.

"Hold on now…" Morgan eyes Nicole with caution. "Using the marker teleportation spell eats up like a quarter of your mana store. If you overflown your chalk marker like that, then you must've used like seventy percent!"

"Really?" Nicole questions. "Didn't feel like any mana was used."

Morgan's blue eyes widened, wondering how large Nicole's mana store was. Wait, no. It wasn't how much mana Nicole had within her but-

"It's how well she can control her mana," Morgan thought aloud.

"Ah, enough with this nerdy stuff," Scarlet complains.

The pyromancer struggles a bit, but manages to visualize her mana-encased words seep into the chalk marker.

"Got it."

_On the other hand, Scarlet doesn't seem to have good mana control_, Morgan hypothesizes.

Immediately, the conjurer gets up on her feet. "Come on; let's get back to the dorms.

"You play cricket, as the team captain?" Adrian asks as he looks up to the centre newsboard, in front of the Bartleby.

"Yeah," Alexander Mythshade says, as he rubs the back of his neck. "Ravenwood is uh… not the best in cricket."

"Your team is dead last in the Spiral in terms of ranking," Adrian says, without really thinking.

"Aaaah, yeah…" Alex chuckles nervously. "But we never give up."

"Can I join?" Adrian asks.

"W-Wait, what?" Alexander likes at the thaumaturge bewildered. "You actually want to join?"

"Sure, why not? I think I should get a break from my hobbies anyways. I'm a good thrower and runner."

"Well, after seeing your physique, I can't argue," Alex chuckles. "You know how to play?"

"Ahah… well no." Adrian shrugs. "I've seen it in the papers. You bat the ball, you run, you catch and throw the ball. It all seems simple."

"It's a difficult game, actually." Alex warns. "And the guys on our team… Let's just say they aren't too athletic, like wizards naturally are."

"I'm just looking for another activity to engage in, that's all," Adrian puts simply.

"Alright then…"

Alex looks to the sun beginning to shine its orange rays through the leaves of the Great Tree.

"You're going to have to get a physical in the infirmary first. Like, they check to see if you're fit," Alex explains.

"Fair enough, I just need to learn the game," Adrian sums up.

Footsteps sound and the two wizards turn to see a dog in fine clothes, a dapper coat, top hat, monocle, with a cane and suitcase in his hands.

"Ah, I see two students eager for my classes." The dog tipped his hat as he made his way to a footlocker by a big newsboard.

"You two are awfully early for my Practical Applications class. Ah, oh! Alexander Mythshade! I didn't recognize you from afar."

"I'm taking my friend here, Adrian, on a tour," Alex explains, and then the conjurer turns to Adrian.

"Adrian, this is Mister Arthur Wethersfield. He teaches Sorcery, or Balance magic. Ravenwood doesn't have a school for Balance, but plans say that Mister Wethersfiend's class could take place within Bartleby."

Alex motions his hand up to the giant tree behind the smaller newsboard.

"Bartleby; the Grandfather Tree, the creator of the Spiral, and center of all magic."

"I knew t'was something not right with a fountain being a center of all magic," Adrian comments. "This seems more genuine."

"Ah, so you attended Pigswick Academy before Ravenwood?" Arthur Wethersfield asks, "Uh… I believe I have not gotten your full name."

"My name is Adrian… Uh, Kensington," he says hesitantly.

Arthur's eyes widened at the name Kensington.

"Hold on now, Kensington, like Earl Ebenezer Kensington? So the rumors are true… It is no wonder you are better dressed then the other students."

"Huh? What's this? Rumor?" Alex asks.

Professor Wethersfield clears his throat.

"Rumor has it that Earl Ebenezer Kensington, the lord of the Kensington district and half of Marleybone's trade ports, had a son and heir. Now his wife was a lioness from Zafaria and he was a dog. Of course, the outcome was unpredictable. But to think their child would turn out… human. I see why he wished to hide his child…"

The Balance Professor turns to Adrian. "You are the child of Kensington, right?"

"…. Yes," Adrian admitted bitterly.

"I see…" Arthur caught the sight of Adrian's now cold-hearted eyes and decided to drop the subject.

"Well, Alexander! Would you like for me to introduce the school of Balance?"

Alex switched his attention between Adrian and Arthur, and then nodded. "That would be appreciated, Professor."

"Well now," Arthur turns to the thaumaturge and sits on the footlocker.

"The magic of Balance, or Sorcery, is about harmony and finding balance in all things. It draws power from each of the other school, using Magic-Directed Transmutation to mix and create new possibilities of magic. Transmutation: the process of changing something into another form through magical means, and by what I mean 'Magic Directed,' I mean transmutation made for magic types."

The dog teacher clears his throat and pulls out a canteen, drinking out of it then slipping it back in his coat.

"Balance does not rely on the internal aspects of the caster nor external forces of the world. It is the creation of new things. Sorcerers, as suggested, are typically creative and don't choose sides. Rather, they consider all sides and decide the final verdicts."

"That sounds a bit like Equilibrium," Adrian says. "It's all about bringing out order of things. That's about it though. I like the idea of Balance better, as I enjoy creative tasks."

"I see! Then I take it that you would be interested in the school of Balance!" Arthur smiled.

Adrian chuckles and shakes his head. "The Book of Secrets, I took the test and the book was quite confused. It kept saying I should be a Diviner, or Thaumaturge, or Necromancer. I settled for ice and death magic."

"I see." Arthur scratched his chin. "That is a rare occurrence, for someone to be suggested into three schools with equal judgment. A shame though, sorcery is a complicated school, but its power is unbelievable," Arthur added.

"I see that you're a more investigative-slash-innovative sort of creative than what Balance is."

"Well, I do mess around with transmutation occasionally. I never heard of transmuting through active spellcasts though, or that is what I'm guessing," Adrian explains.

"You're right, young man! What do you use transmutation for?" Arthur asks.

"Oooh, just general alchemy and such. Transmutation circles, all that," Adrian answers.

"Ah, so you know how to make potions at such a young age!"

"Actually… It's just generally changing general objects into another."

"Nuclear Alchemy? You use Nuclear Alchemy; the art of rearranging elements and compounds' particles into a desired object? Why, that's awfully advanced for a child like you. You'd have to have a bachelor's degree of chemistry and calculus straight from Thames College!"

"I just read a lot," Adrian shrugs.

Alex was utterly confused by the words flying around. "Isn't that like science? I thought science doesn't mix with magic."

Wethersfield wags a finger.

"Magic, is of imagination, and will of mind. We use our life-force, or mana, to manipulate space, time, and matter around us. That is magic. Nuclear Alchemy requires understanding of what is going on when rearranging atomos and particles. Perhaps you have to add neutrons, take away an electron, identifying the valence electrons, or see how many ions there are, so and so. When you use Nuclear Alchemy, you have to know what is going on in the atomic levels and it does not require imagination, thus, requiring little mana use. The more knowledge you gain in how things are sorted out, the more power you have, while with regular magic, it is based off of your imagination. The bigger and more powerful the spell is, the more mana is needed to cast the spell."

Alex was still a bit lost. "So…"

"Science applies with magic indeed. The more you know what parts and atomos of an object is manipulated when using magic, plus external forces around it, the less mana you consume. If you use magic out of pure will, commands, and imagination, it will use more mana on how powerful the magic is. This is the base knowledge for Nuclear Alchemy."

Wethersfield takes a deep breath. "Although it is just a theory, it is yet to be made into a theorem or fact, as there is heavy evidence of it, and this young man, Adrian, understands that theory quite well. Most professors of magic, do not know the association of science in magic."

"I think I get it…" Alexander says, trying to remember what he learned in Physical Science back in Earth, about protons, electrons, and neutrons.

"Well, I think I have said more than enough for the tour," Mister Wethersfield says. "I think it is time to move onto the next part of the tour, no?"

"Oh, yeah!" Alex goes to shake the Balance Professor's hand… or paw. "Thank you, professor, for your time."

The tour continues around Bartleby the Grandfather Tree, going from schoolhouse to schoolhouse.

"Come back to my class so we can help you to release your inner thunder!" Halston Balestrom, the Storm School Instructor says.

"I'll look forward to starting your studies, dear!" Lydia Greyrose, the Ice School Professor, would invite.

"I'll fan the flames to cool the classroom so your studies can begin," Dalia Falmea, the Fire School Professor, beckons.

As the two continues, Adrian brings up the subject about the talking trees. Each represented their schools, something Alexander would explain. Alex and Adrian come up to a gaping chasm, near the Fire School. It was as if a school of Ravenwood was ripped away from the others. In its place, was a creepy floating piece of land with three, dark towers. Ghosts and spirits kept appearing and floating up from those towers of grey bricks.

"What used to be here, was the Death School," a dark skinned teenager says, approaching from behind

His age was probably around seventeen. He was dressed in white and black robes with a jester's hat. In his hand, was a staff with a red crystal ball as the top piece. Spiky, black hair was under his jester hat and his pupils and irises were like globes of screaming souls.

Alexander turns to Adrian, showing him to the fellow student. "Adrian, this is-"

"Malorn Ashthorn, right?" Adrian interrupted.

"You're that new guy, the one who summoned a frosty skeletal snake!" Malorn recalled.

"What, he did?" Alex marveled.

"What happened here?" Adrian asked, pointing to the three, evil spirited towers.

"Oh," Malorn sounded.

He watched a lost soul seep out of the burial grounds where the towers are built.

"Every Hallowe'en, those towers appear," Malorn explained. "They're to challenge wizards like us and test our strength in magic duels or battles. People don't know why they appear, but it's happened ever since the Death School disappeared. Ever since the Death School went away, so did the Death School professor our teacher, Malistaire Drake."

"Malistaire Drake?" Adrian questions.

"He… He was a good teacher," Malorn says quietly.

His eyes seemed to open up more to the light, only to show sadness.

"Ever since he left, bad things started to happen to Wizard City. I don't want to acknowledge it, but the evidence is overwhelming. The other students really think he was evil but… I know he's good man."

Alex was a bit surprised by what Malorn said, but quickly realized that he is also a student of Death. Of course he would try to save face for Malistaire, but Alexander decides to listen to his story. The conjurer finds a bench by the Fire School.

"Why don't we sit?" Alex suggested.

The three agree and comes to rest on the said bench.

"Professor Drake had a wife, Sylvia Drake," Malorn Ashthorn explained. "She was the old professor for the life school. I knew Professor Drake loved his wife very much, but then, she died from sickness."

Malorn looks up to the leaves of Bartley. "We thought Professor Drake would take his wife's death like every other necromancer. He was supposed to acknowledge what death does. We were wrong. Professor Drake was devastated at the loss of Mrs. Drake. I don't know if he was mad, or blamed Wizard City for it, but… Even though he did these bad things, I bet it was because it was all too painful for him."

Alexander's eyes widened at Malorn's story, surprised at his theory. Adrian wasn't sure how to feel, as he didn't know much about Malistaire.

"So this Malistaire guy is responsible for Wizard City's problems?" Adrian asks.

"All evidence points to him," Malorn says with a pained face. "But ever since he left, I'm here to teach other necromancers what I know."

The necromancer manages to smile a bit. "I don't mean to brag but, I was one of the best in Professor Drake's eyes. If he isn't around to teach, then at least I will. That would probably be what he would want, as a teacher."

Adrian hears the murmuring of students down the street. He watches wizards dressed in red and yellow, or black and white, walking down the cobblestone.

Adrian smiles to Malorn. "Well, I guess I could say that the Malistaire guy is proud of you, Malorn. Look at those necromancers coming here to learn."

Malorn looks up, finding kids of varying ages, from seven years old, to thirteen years old. He smiles at Adrian. "Thanks, man."

Alexander keeps silent for a while, and then sits up with vigilance. "Well, I guess it's time to move on to the next part of the tour," he suggested.

"Right," Adrian agreed.

The stood up and gave their goodbyes to the young, makeshift Death School teacher, and heads for the Myth School.

"Well they could've at least sent an adept," the wizard dressed in yellow and blue says.

Cyrus Drake sighs, shakes his head, and rolls his eyes, all at the same time, which impressed Adrian.

"Well, if you wish to _attempt_ to learn some Conjuration, come back later and we can get started."

The Myth Professor points sternly out the door. "Now, leave me alone."

The two departed from the Myth School.

"Well, he was nice," Adrian commented.

"I know he can be a grump, but at least he does teach us so well that we understand it well beyond you can expect," Alex says.

"So that guy was Malistaire's brother?" Adrian asks.

"Yep."

The two continue onto the School of Life, where they meet Moolinda Wu, the professor of Theurgy.

"I didn't expect a cow to be teaching here at Wizard City," Adrian says.

"I didn't know Mooshu even knew of Ravenwood's magic, now that you mention it," Alex added.

Alexander led Adrian back to where Arthur Wethersfield taught. The Balance Professor was giving a lecture to his students where they sat on the cobblestone ground. Arthur was pacing back and forth, writing on a blackboard, where the newsboard was. All the posts of the newsboard were probably on the other side. Alex and Adrian settled on the curb, near Blossom, the life tree.

Alex casts his blue eye on the entrance to the Girls' Dormitory. "So how did you wind up in there?"

Adrian glances at the dorms, then back at Alex. "The boys' dorms were full, so I was told I couldn't join Ravenwood, which was stupid. I was really desperate to join this academy so they placed me in the Girls' Dorms."

"You had no problem with them doing that?" Alex asked.

"I don't really see why they have to separate guys and girls," Adrian shrugs.

Alex made a confused look at Adrian.

_I think this guy doesn't has any sexual instincts,_Alex thought.

Suddenly, a voice pierces into Alex's train of thought. He turns to see a girl of oriental origin. Her hair was brown and short. She had dark, purple lipstick and her eyes of mixed colors.

"Hello, Alexanderu-kun," she would say.

"Oh! Ashley," Alex calls to her, and then turns to Adrian.

"Hey, this is Ashley Breeze, girl prefect of the Green Peregrines, the wizard I told you guys about."

Adrian leans in and looks left, toward where the Life and Myth schools were. He saw a Mooshu girl, dressed in tan slacks. Her upper wear was made for battle, with russet brown, silk robes tucked into her pants. They were trimmed with citrine and green. Ashley also had a leather shoulder guard on her right shoulder, which seemed pretty tough to crack. In her hand, was something like a staff, but with a blade at the top end. Ashley's eyes switched to Adrian, but not exactly. Adrian studied her eyes to see if she was looking behind him. Guess not.

"So is this the talk of Ravenwood?" Ashely asked.

Her voice was sophisticated, but also like a warrior's, or an empress warlord. "This _'Eidorian'_ person?"

"Actually, it's 'Adrian,'" Alex corrected.

"A-dri-an," she pronounces.

"Anyways," Alex looks back to Adrian. "She's a Sorcerer, like Mister Wethersfield, and best in class. Like, really powerful. Don't be fooled by how other students act around her however, she's kinda friendly."

"What do you mean?" Adrian asks.

Ashley looks at the conjurer and thaumaturge, but not exactly at them, like before. "I am an enforcer of the Ravenwood's code. It is only natural the underclassmen will be … at unease with me."

"Oooh," Adrian sounds. "I see now."

"Yeah, she's one of us elite initiates," Alex says. "Right, Ashe?"

The Mooshu sorcerer keeps silent.

"Eheh," Alex chuckles awkwardly. "Oh and did I also mention that she is blind?"

"Alexu-kun," Ashley says with a warning tone.

"Really?" Adrian asks, looking at Ashley's staff… or spear.

"So what does she do with that?" Adrian points to the spear.

"She casts spells with it, obviously," Alex says, but Adrian could sense a trace of hesitance in his answer.

"I wonder what a polearm has to do with casting spells," Adrian commented.

"This is just a keepsake of my family," Ashley responds. "He is called Kamakari. Sometimes I… tend to miss the land of Mooshu, and so I have this keepsake, as my focal point of magic."

"Alright, I guess," Adrian settles.

Another voice sounds from Alex and Adrian's right. It came out of the tunnel.

"Adrian!" Morgan called.

Morgan ran up with bags hung on her arms, meeting up with the thaumaturge and Alex.

"Hello, Morgan," Adrian says with a smile.

"I hear the rustling of bags." Ashley points a strong finger at Morgan. "You there, conjurer, why were you at the Shopping District at this hour?"

"E-Eh?" Morgan steps back in confusion. "Wh-What?"

"Ah, relax, Ashley," Alexander says, standing up to settle down Ashley's arm. "She has the day off."

Alex blinks between his fellow conjurer and the sorcerer. "Oh yeah! Um, Ashley, this is Morgan. Morgan, Ashley."

"Oh, so this is the Ashley person you were talking-" Morgan notices Ashley's Kamakari. "-about…"

"Where's Nic and Scarlet?" Adrian asks.

The conjurer blinks and recalls the subject. "Oh they were just right behind me," Morgan explains. "They've got a heavy load."

"Why'd you guys come back?" Alex asked.

Morgan settles down her bags of decorations, costumes, and candy.

"We figured we'd just relax back at the dorms before going to Olde Town."

"Well, we were going to continue the tour through the Shopping District then to Olde Town as well," Alex says.

"That's great!" Morgan cheers pepperly. "We can-"

A girl's voice shouts out of the tunnel from the Commons. Everyone's attention turned to the tunnel entrance, even Arthur Wethersfield and his outdoor class.

Scarlet stands there huffing and puffing, with bags on her back and arms. Nicole was by her side, trying to calm the enraged pyromancer down, or just trying to grab at the candy in Scarlet's bags.

Scarlet slams down her merchandise and points toward Morgan, Alex, and Adrian's direction. With determined eyes and a warrior's cry, she calls out.

"ASHLEY BREEZE! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A MAGIC BATTLE!"


	13. 13 - Fire and Ice

"How do you even know that's Ashley?" asked Nicole.

"Shut up, Nic. I can hear, you know. Like, her name," Scarlet huffed.

"Huh, really?" Nicole cups her hands around her ears. "I didn't hear anything in the tunnels."

"You're ruining the moment," Scarlet hissed.

The sounds of high heels clacking on the cobblestone were made as Ashley Breeze began to walk toward the tunnel entrance from Blossom the Life Tree.

"Alexanderu-kun, who is this?" Ashley asked.

"Uh, um. She's Scarlet Night," Alexander Mythshade answered. "She is in the same dorm with Morgan and Adrian here."

"A magic battle?" Ashley repeats. "This Scarlet girl must be either really powerful, or really foolish to challenge me."

"I came here to get stronger," Scarlet states. "And fighting the strongest is how I'll do it! Now draw your wand!"

"No," Ashley simply refuses.

Scarlet's cheek twitches. "Wh-What? No?"

"That is against Regulation F-3. No form of violence shall be committed on school grounds, especially with spells," Ashley explains, striking the bottom end of her spear on the cobblestone, declaring her authority.

"What?" Scarlet bites her lip. "That's some utter bat bile!"

Ashley smiles a bit, and then turned her mixed-colored eyes to Arthur Wethersfield. "Unless…"

"Unless?" Morgan questions.

Scarlet's amber eyes burned with impatience, waiting for an answer, while Ashley called out to the Balance Instructor.

"Professor Wethersfield, will you permit me to teach this novice her place?" Ashley requests.

The Professor of Balance chuckles and looks at his class of sorcerers-to-be's. "Class, what you will see here, is a prime example of a unit in Practical Applications of Magic: battling."

The students of Arthur's class murmured to each other, either excited to see the battle or worried about how it'll all turn out.

"Who is that pyromancer?

"Didn't Ashley Breeze say she was a novice?"

"What is that Scarlet person thinking?"

"Someone's challenging a prefect!"

Though blind, Ashley's ears were acute and sharp, being able to hear their murmuring.

"I suggest you students of Wethersfield's class be quiet and pay attention," Ashley commands.

And sure enough, the young sorcerers silenced and Arthur smiles, taking his canteen out for a drink. One of the students, a girl, comes up and tugs on Arthur Wethersfield's coat.

"Aren't you going to wish good luck to your class assistant, Mister Wethersfield?" the young girl asks.

"Assistant?" Adrian thought aloud to himself.

The Balance Instructor chuckles and caps his canteen, letting out a sigh after gulping down his drink.

"It is the novice pyromancer that I should wish good luck to, this Scarlet girl," Mister Wethersfield said. "Ashley Breeze is one of the Balance school's most skilled students, of course."

Arthur settles down on his footlocker. "Pay attention students. This isn't the same as dueling. There is no dueling circle, no lifelines, and you'll feel the pain along with the damage dealt."

Fed up with waiting, Scarlet smiles and gets jumpy. "Alright, alright, so we can fight!"

Scarlet walks up toward the center of Ravenwood's main court grounds, eyeing Ashley's figure as the confident pyromancer slips out her wand from her sleeve.

"That's a rather fancy staff," Scarlet comments. "So, you want to cast the first spell?"

"Whatever you wish, novice," Ashley replies, remaining her relaxed composure. "But first, it is customary in my culture to introduce our names before battle. I am Ashley Breeze, prefect of the Green Peregrines, and the Scales of Judgement, as many call me."

Ashley points her spear at Scarlet. "You?"

"Heh!" Scarlet stands triumphantly with her arms crossed. "Scarlet Night; novice pyromancer, and… uh… the Scarlet Spellsword! Yeah, that sounds good!"

Cards float around Scarlet as one of them disintegrates into a fine red mist, gathering around her wand. With it, she draws a fire rune.

"Cinder Summoning:" Scarlet taps the rune and it turns into fire energy, swarming around her wand. "Firecat Litter!"

She swings her wand up, and the fiery magic that surrounded her wand was hurled towards Ashley, becoming a large fireball the size of one of those giant boulder. It split into three smaller spheres of inferno and forms into a trio of firecats. Their breaths were superheated air and claws blazing with flames.

"Impressive," Ashley says. "Three summons at once, more than what I expected of a novice."

Being blind, Ashley barely turns her head to the firecats. She simply stood there with a ready stance while the firecats surrounded her. The firecats growled and pounced at Ashley, but the elite initiate sorcerer was faster. Quickly, a spellcard shot up from her wrist to the tip of her spear and she spins her spear in her palm, having a balance rune draw itself in front of her.

"Balance Spell: Elemental Shield," Ashley recites calmly.

A transparent globe of red, blue, and purple formed around her, then turned into a burning red-orange altogether as the firecats were blocked off. The creatures of fire were knocked back and their forms gave up, turning into embers as Ashley's shield spell disappeared. Scarlet wasn't dismayed however, expecting a move like that. She picked out another card from the floating collection of cards around her, but Ashley suddenly appeared closer to Scarlet, about three staff-lengths away. A small balance rune forms and spins at the tip of Ashley's spear and she swings her spear toward Scarlet.

"Sand Summoning: Scorpion!"

A whip of sand darted from the spear's tip, turning into a giant scorpion, which flew for Scarlet.

"Tch!" Scarlet sidesteps a large distance to the left, watching the scorpion crash into the cobblestone. Afterwards, the scorpion gets up, trying to get traction of the ground with its multiple, but skidding feet, but fails and the spell was over.

A card spiraled up Scarlet's left arm and turned into a fire rune, and then her right hand comes down with her wand, tapping on the rune.

"Cinder Summoning: Fire Elf!" she chanted.

A foot-tall elf appeared out of Scarlet's spell, as the fire rune behind him burst into fire and maple leaves. His clothes were of red and yellow and he held a tiny bow of red oak wood in his hands. The fire elf drew arrows from his quiver and they blaze to life as they met with the bow.

"An apprentice spell from a novice, huh?" Ashley says as she dodges one of the fire elf's flaming arrows, and bashes another arrow out of the way with an elemental shield, this time, in a form of a literal shield.

"Flame Arts: Cinderblade Cutlass!"

Ashley Breeze's eyes widened at the sound of an unfamiliar spell. At the last split second, Ashley jumps back and manages to twist and move her shoulder away from a rush of condensed fire and flames. The sorcerer lands on her feet nimbly.

"A sword of fire," Ashley says.

"That's right!" Scarlet smiles.

"Kagu-tsuchi, the myths of the fire sword are true?" Ashley mutters.

"This is just a magus-rank spell, not a 'Kagoo-sushi' whatever you called it," Ashley explains.

Off in the distance, by Blossom, the Life Tree, Morgan, Adrian, and Alex spectated.

"How was she able to tell that it was fire sword, if she was blind?" Morgan asks.

Alex kept quiet, avoiding the question and observing the fight between the sorcerer and the pyromancer.

Arthur Wethersfield raised a brow, wondering how Scarlet got a hold of the Cinderblade Cutlass spell. "I'm sure that wasn't a treasure card… How did she learn it?"

Scarlet charges Ashley, remembering the moves Rattlebones made in their previous battle. Scarlet swings down with the blade of flames at Ashley then spins quickly right after, creating a wheel of blazes around her, but Ashley manages to keep stepping back.

This may prove difficult, Ashley thought. But not when it is blades against blades.

With that, the sorcerer took a battle-ready stance, unlike her relaxed state from before, with her spear behind her back and the other, free hand ready to catch her spear, like Ashley was about to draw a gun in a high noon standoff. Scarlet strides forward onto one foot, then twists around, swinging her sword of flames in another wheel of fire. In response, Ashley brings her spear from her back, clanging with Scarlet's edge on the spear's shaft.

"There's reason my spear is given the name: Kamakari," Ashley says as she locked her spear against Scarlet's sword.

"What are you blabbering on about, we're fighting," Scarlet replies, struggling to keep her sword up with clenched teeth.

"Kama: the sickle, of Lady Judgement, and hakari: me, the scales," the Mooshu sorcerer says.

"Lady Judgment? You, the scales? So what?"

Scarlet lets out a cry and drags her sword up the spear, flinging it away, but Ashley's hands don't let go. Her arms are also flung back, but her overall form was calm, like Scarlet's move had no effect. The pyromancer uses the split second of Ashley's inability to attack to leap back a great distance. The sorcerer smiles at the opportunity and a tanned spellcard slips out of her silk sleeves and into her hand.

"Arts of the Desert: Locust Swarm."

Ashley lets her spellcard disintegrate into sand, and it spirals up her spear like a snake. On the ground where she stands, a balance rune appears and spins, stopping when Ashley strikes the bottom of her spear to the ground, making the magical, spiraling sand around the spear lose its effects, falling like normal grains and gets carried away by the winds. As Scarlet was about to land from her backwards leap, her feet meets something soft, unlike the cobblestone she expected. The pyromancer looks down to see her feet sinking into quicksand.

"Now you see students," Arthur Wethersfield speaks up. "See how Ashley casts Locust Swarm, only to use the field of sand. You know how a tomb is supposed to appear, but her control over the spell is strong."

Wethersfield's students ooh'd at Ashley's abilities.

"It's over, novice," Ashley declares, as she approaches Scarlet, whose feet were rooted into the sand.

Scarlet struggled and grunted, but couldn't walk free. Ashley begins to charge for the pyromancer, with her spear ready to slash through Scarlet. It was the end. However, Scarlet's eyes were still locked onto her attacker's filled with determination.

_ That is a resolved look you have there, Scarlet Night,_ Ashley says in her thoughts. _An honorable way to be defeated._

The the blunt end of the spear was brought down upon Scarlet, but suddenly swerves in another direction, to block a surprise attack from Ashley's right side.

"HRRRRAAAH!"

Adrian was airborne, stopping Ashley's weapon with fierce kick. The blow was hard enough to launch Ashley away, toward Terrence, the Storm Tree. She managed to land on the grass, her feet nearly reaching the pond. The Locust Swarm spell faded away and Scarlet stood on firm cobblestone again, while Adrian landed by her side.

"I didn't need your help, you know," Scarlet complains. "But, thanks."

"The match got one-sided as soon as Ashley Breeze brought out her magical spear," Adrian says.

"You," Ashley says, sweeping away the frost that formed on her spear from Adrian's kick. "How did you achieve such speed?"

_ Even I did not see that coming, nor did I hear it,_ Ashley thought on to herself.

"Uh, I work out?" Adrian says, shrugging.

"Absurd," Ashley sneers.

"Even though it's now two against one, I say our powers are equal," Adrian says, his tone was now a bit more shaped for battle, but his high voice convinced otherwise.

"Words of an experienced balance wizard," Arthur Wethersfield mused, while his students look up to him, then back at Scarlet and Adrian, with astonishment.

"So pervert," Scarlet says, abruptly bringing her sword to her side. "What's the plan?"

"Attack together?" Adrian suggests. "I've been meaning to test out my new toys anyways."

The thaumaturge lifts up his cloak, and seven crystals of ice floats out, taking their positions, hovering around Adrian. They spark to life and they make sounds, like distorted water drops and scratches against metal.

"It's that reading light thing again," Scarlet says. "You have more of them."

The crystals of ice synchronize with each other, saying words in unison, into a single clockwork-like voice of a female.

"Dorothy_02, online."

Ashley tilts her head, wondering what this new voice was_. I can see seven small mana forms. Are they mana wisps? No. They all have the thaumaturge's magical signature._

"What are those?" Scarlet asks.

Adrian keeps silent for a bit, and then shrugs. "A whole bunch of wands, I guess."

"DON'T SHRUG AT ME. YOU MADE THEM, YA IDIOT," Scarlet shouted.

_ It's hard to find them as a synergized team,_ Ashley discusses with herself. _As fire and ice don't mix, a dull, calm individual and a loud hothead of a girl doesn't mix either._

Scarlet's Cinderblade Cutlass blazes up with scorching flames and she charges for Ashley. The two wizards clash, parrying and blocking off each other's strikes, sword and against spear. Over time, Ashley starts to put the pressure on Scarlet. Adrian was in the background, making calculations in his mind while his ice crystals come together. He raises two spellcards, one cerulean, and one pitch black. An ice rune draws itself in front of Adrian and his ice crystals orbits around the rune, going counter-clockwise in the air as they kept the spell in motion.

The ice rune turns black as Adrian recites the spell, "Cold Death: Frosty Ghoul."

His eyes were intent on Ashley while he kept whispering grim words. The ground rumbles and the cobblestone cracks. A ghoul in a white suit springs out of the ground in front of Adrian, with a large icicle in his hands. It moaned and ran toward Ashley, while Scarlet saw the strange summon, and stepped back, taking the opportunity to catch her breath. The ghoul thrusts his icicle at Ashley. His motion was lazy, but his attacks could say the opposite. Ashley spins her spear above her head, and then sweeps it down behind her to bring it up in a precise strike. The spear's tip cracks the giant icicle and it shatters to pieces, but the ghoul shows no dismay. It pounces for Ashley, pinning her to the ground, but the sorcerer still had a plan. A small balance rune spins in her hand and she presses it up the ghoul's chest, making a gale of concentrated, hot sand pierce through its body, leaving the ghoul dead with a gaping hole in its chest. Ashley pushes the ghoul away, gets up on her feet and dusts off her shoulder guard as the ghoul disintegrates away into dust.

_ I sensed the mana of undead, with ice magic,_ Ashley thought to herself.

The sorcerer's ear picks up the sound of Scarlet's battle cry and she ducks. Scarlet misses her swing went airborne above Ashley, and so the sorcerer took the chance and thrusted her spear up Scarlet's abdomen. The pyromancer lets out an "ACK!" and was launched up and away, backwards of Ashley. Scarlet lands with a thud and groaned, as Arthur's class of balance wizard flinched from the painful strike.

"Enough with your annoying sword," Ashley mutters. "Balance Spell: Elemental Dispel."

A card within Ashley's sleeve slips out, turning into three, red, blue-white, and purple wisps. The wisps fly for Scarlet's hand and swirls around it. The red wisp was consumed into Scarlet's fingers and the sword of fire disappears into nothing. Scarlet's eyes widened as the flames of her weapon blew away with the wind, leaving only her wand. She begins to get up, holding her stomach.

"That was a dirty move," Scarlet manages to cough out.

"Dirty?" Ashley smirks and spins her spear, striking it on the ground, resting it by her side. "Strategy has no limits."

"Battle Protocol Seven, execute."

Ashley turns around to see who said those words. Adrian was there with closed eyes. He kept muttering commands and numbers, with a hand in his waistcoat pocket and his ice crystals droning around him, while walking slowly towards Ashley. Finally, Adrian opens his eyes and stretched his arm out to Ashley. The ice crystals charged with magic and darted for the sorcerer like deadly, dive bombing sparrows. Taken aback the speed of the crystals, Ashley really started to take hold of her spear like a martial artist, and not a wizard.

Ashley took a deep breath and recited the words, "Third Taurshura Spirit: Weasel Stance."

The sorceror's spear crackled with purple lightning and with speed untraceable by the naked eye, she whipped and swings her spear around, blocking off the incoming ice crystal projectiles, then ceases with a dignified stance. The ice crystals, or Dorothys, came back to hover around Adrian.

_ To think I'd have to call upon Taurshura,_ Ashley thought. _I must not let my abilities be seen anymore._

Ashley points towards Adrian with an iron finger. The white-blue wisp that floated by Scarlet's hand bursts in speed, shooting for Adrian. It latches onto his fingernail, and then was absorbed into Adrian's hand. Ashley expected for his ice crystals to run dry of mana and fall, but there was no effect.

"I don't think you can dispel a wand," Adrian smiles. "Nor can you dispel a living creature."

Ashley's train of thought was wrecked, her expression turning confused. "What?"

The thaumaturge's eyes glows bright with ice magic and his form breaks down into a mist of snow and sleet. Mist-Adrian bolt in Ashley's direction. At the last second, the snow and sleet pressed against each other and reformed into Adrian, giving him the momentum to land a heavy kick aimed for Ashley's face. The sorcerer meets his jet-black oxfords with the shaft of her spear.

_That impact cracked the ground around my feet,_ Ashley thought. _What kind of wizard is he? The force should've been enough to crack his leg bones as well…_

Adrian pushes off Ashley's spear with his foot but then returns to start a barrage of kicks, while remaining in mid-air by polymorphing either of his feet into torrents of cold, snowy air when not kicking at Ashley. Meanwhile, Scarlet watches Ashley keep her guard up against Adrian's fast kicks, then looks to her hand. Fire flickered in her palm but was unable to ignite fully. She tried the same for her wand, but nothing worked.

"Damn it all. How do I get rid of a dispel?" Scarlet asks herself.

_I'm beginning to lose my breath, _Adrian thought to himself.

With that, he stops his legs and springs off the spear a great distance, and lands on the other side of the street. Adrian eyes Ashley intently, standing back up straight with nobility as his Dorothys return and float around him. The thaumaturge tries and thinks up of a plan.

"Dorothy, start the run-up sequence for the Particle Acceleration protocol," Adrian orders to his ice crystals.

A golden treasure card forms in Adrian's palm and he tosses it up in the air, letting it become an ice rune.

"Ice Arts: Frostbite."

The ice rune melts into a stream of ice magic, gathering around Adrian's fingers. He whips the spell at Ashley's feet. It freezes them onto the ground, rendering Ashley immobile, as Adrian takes a step back and brings his right arm forward, then his free hand onto the raised arm. He faces his right palm at Ashley, and his ice crystals come in formation. They rotate in a cylinder around the arm and icy energy begins to form in it.

"What is that?" Scarlet asks aloud.

The students of Arthur's class clamored and spoke urgently about what's going to happen, while Arthur Wethersfield watched Adrian's charging spell intently.

The thaumaturge's spell intensifies in power and the rotation of the ice crystals speeds up to a blur.

With that, Adrian says the final words, "Techmaturgy: Arcane Acceleration Cannon-"

His ritualistic words were broken off as Ashley somehow managed to break free of her icy bonds and she flashed up above Adrian in storm and balance magic, with her spear in hand, ready to strike. Adrian's eyes widened and he swerved the aim of his arm away from Terrence the Storm Tree and towards the sky.

"Firing," the Dorothy_02 system says.

Suddenly, a massive burst of concentrated ice magic unleashes from Adrian's palm, shooting into the sky, blowing a hole in Bartleby's large canopy of leaves. Even Ashley was astonished by what just happened, but her intentions went back on Adrian, as she thrusts the dull end of her spear at the thaumaturge. Just as the pole reached his chest, Adrian's form broke down into a mist of snow, blowing away and speeding to where Scarlet stood. The snow reformed into Adrian, and he crashes into the ground, rolling and scraping, stopping beside Scarlet. He pants and frowns into the ground, struggling to get up.

"I used a bunch of mana in that last spell," Adrian says. "Crap."

"And I can't bring out my Cinderblade Cutlass anymore," Scarlet adds on. "What do we do?"

The two novice wizards watch as Ashley stands near the tunnel entrance to the Commons. She was looking up to where Adrian blew a hole in Bartleby's canopy, a bit amazed, then her attention shifted back to Scarlet and her thaumaturgic friend.

Suddenly, Adrian grabbed hold of Scarlet's hand.

Scarlet's eyes widen and she tries to pull her arm away. "WHAT'RE YOU DOING, YOU PERV?"

"Use me," Adrian replied.

"Wha- …. What?" Scarlet was confused.

"Use me, take me, hold me!" Adrian chanted, as he eyes Ashley, who was coming closer.

Scarlet sputters and made a bunch of gibberish with a blush. "WH-WHAT?"

"Just run and I'll follow!" Adrian yelled. "Just imagine you're wielding a greatsword!"

"What? You're crazy! How am I supposed to do that? First of all, you're heavy, second of all, you, as a weapon?"

"That's the idea! And I'm lighter than you think! Just do it!"

"Alright! Okay! Let's do it!"

The pyromancer starts to charge for Ashley, holding Adrian's arm with two hands, as he followed Scarlet from behind. Ashley starts to do the same, dashing towards the duo with her spear. When they reach, Scarlet lets out a battle cry. Adrian's arm and hand harden into ice as Scarlet swung him at Ashley. As his leg came near the sorcerer, a blade of ice formed out of Adrian's foot, kicking at the last second and clashing with Ashley's spear. Adrian's whole body froze in ice, except for his torso, looking like a plank, while Scarlet clenched his teeth, staring down at Ashley.

"Tch, I don't think this sword form is going to work," Adrian says.

Scarlet scoffs. "Yeah, what else?"

Adrian rolls his eyes. "Just keep going, you idiot."

Scarlet does as her friend says and brings her human-sword back.

"Retreat," she says.

The two jumps back, then charges again at Ashley. This time, Adrian moves more like a whip, having a sharp edge of ice form out of his feet and kicks every time his leg nears Ashley, resulting in Scarlet being able to strike with more speed. The two continues to attack together while Ashley kept blocking away. When it was time for Ashley to return the favor, Scarlet lets go of Adrian, leaving him to fend away the sorcerer's attacks with his ice-covered arms.

"You're going to rip the sleeves off my fine coat, miss," Adrian says, continuing to defend against Ashley.

"It's your fault for choose hand-to-hand combat then, novice," the sorcerer responded.

Adrian flings up the blade of Ashley's spear. Then, ice forms in bulk around one of his arms. He goes in to deliver a potentially devastating punch. Ashley ducks under the attack and counters by thrusting her spear into Adrian's abdomen, but Adrian learned from Scarlet's mistake. He put his hand on Ashley's shoulder and springs off, somersaulting above her and goes back to bring down an axe kick on the sorcerer. Unfortunately, Ashley brings her spear behind her neck, letting the kick fall on that instead. Adrian makes an annoyed sound and bounces off Ashley's spear and lands near Scarlet.

"This is it," the pyromancer says. "We'll finish this."

"Right," Adrian agrees, as ice magic fuels up around his left leg.

Ashley takes sight of the impending threat and she draws a balance rune with her finger, letting the power of Sorcery gather around the head of her spear. With that, Ashley draws in her breath and lets out war cry, and Scarlet does the same, rushing towards the elite initiate sorcerer with Adrian by her side, ready to deliver the final clash.

"Submit defeat, novices!" Ashley yells.

"Heh! And Nicole stops eating candy!" Scarlet and Adrian roars back in unison.

Nicole's head pops out from a shopping bag of candy, chewing on some taffy. "Eh?"

Adrian's ice-charged leg and Ashley's sandstorm imbued spearhead meets. The area of Ravenwood seems to be sucked of light. With that, an explosion of sand, snow, ice, and rocks erupts from the final clash, blowing the three fighters back. Ashley rolls back and tumbles toward the Commons tunnel entrance, finally stopping. She lies on the ground, moaning. Adrian and Scarlet also was forced into the cobblestone, tumbling backwards and coming to a halt, hard against the fence that circled Bartleby. They were all panting and coughing, trying to regain their senses.

"Egh…" Ashley sounded. "Who'd to think I'd be pushed to the ground…"

"Aw… My everything is hurt," Scarlet moaned.

"I think my coat needs to visit to the tailor," Adrian grunted.

"You're going to say that," Scarlet looks scoffingly at Adrian, "After what just happened."

"Hey, it's an expensive piece of clothing," Adrian smiled.

Ashley struggles to get up. "You novices are certainly something else."

"Call it a tie?" Scarlet suggested, as she got up on her feet, then bends down to help up Adrian.

"A draw," Ashley mused. She nods and dusts off her clothes of magic dust.

"I think we've got ourselves a crowed," Adrian says, waving his hands around.

Ashley and Scarlet glances around to their sides. Only now did they realize that there was a crush of students gathered around. One crowd was by the Storm School, while another crowd was by the Life School.

"How long have they been there?" Scarlet asks.

"Ever since Scarlet brought out her sword thing," Alex says.

Alexander Mythshade and Morgan join the scene, followed by Nicole, who was carrying a bunch of shopping bags.

"That was a splendid performance, you three," Arthur Wethersfield said. "On this day, you lot have set an example to Ravenwood where many of the wizards do not know what battling with magic is like. To think you Scarlet, would use Adrian here as a weapon!"

"Did we now?" Scarlet couldn't help but grin and look up to the leaves of Bartleby.

Morgan trots up to Scarlet and Adrian. "Are you two alright?"

"We're fine," Scarlet and Adrian says in unison. They look at each other and chuckle.

Scarlet watches Adrian's hand as he raised it up to the sky, calling for the pieces of his Dorothy_02 system to retreat back into his cloak.

The crowd came closer around Ashley, Alexander, and the Nightingale Girls(and guy). They murmured and words were passed around.

"Did you guys see that?"

"That blonde had a fire sword!"

"That silver-haired kid fought with fisticuffs!"

"That guy must be the one in the girls' dorms!"

"The Scarlet person swung the ice wizard around like a weapon!"

In the back, some girls squealed and screamed. "Adrian!"

Adrian looked around. "What?"

Morgan rolled her eyes at the girls in the back, and muttered some words.

"Man, I wouldn't want to mess with that fire girl," one person in the crowd says.

"They stood up and matched equally against Ashley Breeze!" another person commented.

The crowd cheered and chanted Scarlet and Adrian's names, with enthusiasm.

"It seems like you two have gotten popular," Ashley says, walking up to them.

She raises her hand in an offer to shake hands with Scarlet and Adrian, but she faced the wrong way.

"Hey uh, Ashley," Alex calls out. "You're facing the wrong way."

"Oh," Ashley turns to her left and corrects her positioning. "Sorry. I have used too much mana and my ability to see mana within people has faded. It is also too loud to determine you two's positions."

Adrian lets a fist fall into his palm, as a sign of him figuring out something. "Ah, so that's how she knows where I was!"

"Wait, hold on." Scarlet raises a hand to chest-level. "Ashley is blind?"

"Yeah," Alexander says.

"Whaaat? This is… wow," Scarlet says, looking to the ground.

Adrian chuckles at Scarlet and shakes his head. "Heh, forgot to tell you… that."

His last words stumbled and Adrian's legs became weak. Suddenly, he collapsed onto the ground.

"Adrian!" Morgan screamed.

The conjurer rushed to his side and flipped him over… only to find him softly snoring.

"Wh-What?" Morgan made a bewildered face.

"Oooh yeah," Scarlet remembered. "He like, spent all of last night reading a book. Didn't sleep a bit."

"He violated Regulation B-3," Ashley stepped in. "No studying overnight, for you had plenty of time in the daytime to study."

"Uh well, Adrian was just reading a book as a hobby I think," Scarlet says. "Something about quantum gateways and space stuff."

"Well, I think I can accept that…" Ashley says, poking at the sleeping Adrian.

Scarlet's knees started to become wobbly, and Ashley lost her strength, both of them falling on one knee.

"I think we both used too much stamina," Scarlet says with a chuckle. "Next time, I won't need Adrian's help. You're going down, Ashley Breeze."

"We'll see about that," Ashley chuckles.

"Well now!" Arthur Wethersfield stepped up to the scene. "I suggest you three go to the infirmary immediately. Can I gather some theurgists to take them there?"

Two male theurgists come and takes Adrian's body by the feet and arms, carrying him away. Another one comes and slings Scarlet's arm over his shoulder. The life wizard then assists Scarlet in walking away to the infirmary. As a person comes to help Ashley up, she keeps eyeing Adrian and Scarlet.

_Those two bested me in battle, even though they were novices,_ Ashley thought. _Perhaps they had previous experience… I underestimated them. They had teamwork like no other's._

Ashley lets out a sigh and glances at the sky.

_ I wonder how powerful they will be in the future._


	14. 14 - The Goddess of Ravenwood

Once again, the story starts with Scarlet on the bed. She must've passed out while being assisted to the infirmary. Her red, flame-embroidered boots was taken off and put to the side, along with her socks in her shoes, hanging out, leaving her red-painted toesies to be seen wiggling around. She struggles a bit but a hand goes over Scarlet's chest. She turned her eyes to find Nicole with a finger on her lips. The necromancer pats down Scarlet back onto the bed.

"Don't move, Scarlet. You're still a lil' bit banged up," Nicole says, with a subtle smile, but her cheery mood still breaches through it.

"Oh. Alright," Scarlet sighs.

The pyromancer rests her head on the pillow and lets out a bored huff to the ceiling, blowing her blonde hair away.

Scarlet lazies her head over to look at Nicole again. "So how's Adrian, then? Ashley?"

"He's still asleep," Nicole explains. "He's a bit banged up, like you are, but they said you guys overdid it with the explosion, now everyone is mopey-dopey in teddy-beddy."

Scarlet looks over to the other side of the room, seeing Morgan by Adrian's side close by. Morgan kept watch over him, letting her ash blonde hair over Adrian's snow white hair.

"I ship them so much," Nicole snickers.

"Ship them? Ship them where?" Scarlet asks.

"Oh, just Internet stuff," the necromancer says simply.

"What's an internet?" Scarlet goes on.

Nicole made a face like she didn't want to go into the subject. "Eeeeh."

"And how long am I going to be stuck here?"

"Oh not long. One of the nurses'll come and heal you right back up."

"Never been here before," Scarlet comments, looking around the room.

The room was pretty small. The space was probably a bit larger than a big wardrobe for a princess. Scarlet assumes this room was for patients that just need rest. The place also had a sink and two chairs each by the two beds for the patients.

Scarlet looks over her chest to the door, "Hrm?"

The knob twists and the entrance opens to let two females in, both caucasian. One had the look of a lady in her 20s. She had long, finely curled golden brown hair and an attractive face with silver eyes. She was dressed in light pink, white, with green as the main color of her clothes, obviously showing that the lady was a theurgist. She sported a skirt with Ravenwood-standard buckled boots. For her top, she had a big-sleeved robe tucked into her skirt by a pink belt. Her robe was loose and made a big window for her ample bosom, showing off her rather large breasts, even bigger than Morgan's, giving the lady a voluptuous beauty. Her attitude was carefree and easygoing, so it seems to Scarlet. On her name tag, which was located on her right chest, had the words: Ryane Tulipshine. And below her name, was the title, 2nd Seat Surgeon and MD.

"So in 'zis room, we have Scarlet Night and Adrian Kensington, ze ones 'zat fought Ashley Breeze," Ryane reported to the other girl.

The other theurgist crosses her arms with a hand on her chin. "Adrian and Scarlet… Where have I heard those names before?"

The girl was smaller than her taller partner, but she still had the looks of a theurgist. The only difference was that the girl was a lot more beautiful, on a whole other level. She had a long-sleeved zippered robe with two coattails coming from the hind end of her robes. She had thigh-high boots with high heels, which led up to her short skirt, being cut at the sides and was replaced pleated, white, embroidered cloth. Her clothes overall were black, with green and brown trims. While she didn't have a chest like Ryane's, the theurgist's eyes were of leaf emeralds. Her slightly wavy, long, chocolate brown hair seemed to flow with non-existent winds, and her face was so innocently captivating, like a goddess of spring meadows and beauty. When she smiled, even the other girls blushed.

"I heard they were on the same level as Ashley, together of course," spoke the black-clothed theurgist girl. "I hope they aren't gravely hurt."

Scarlet blushes more at the theurgist. The life wizard held her hands curled up against her chest like in a prayer. Surely she must be a goddess of some sort. Scarlet read on her name tag that her identity was Molly Lionheart, and below her name, she read 1stSeat Surgeon and Assistant Chief.

_Am I… Am I having a crush on that theurgist? I don't even like girls!_ Scarlet thought.

_I know right?_ Nicole thinks along.

Scarlet's expression turned confused. _Wait. Nicole, how did you get in my mind?_

The necromancer shrugs. _I dunno. Lol._

_Lol?_

_Hehe~_

Ryane follows Molly up to Scarlet's bed. She looks to her clipboard then turns to Molly.

"The patient has… uh, first degree burns on the arms and a mild contusion of the tummy," Ryane reports.

"I think just a sprite will be sufficient for Scarlet," Molly says with a soft voice like an angel's. "Along with some ointment, and she'll be fit as a fiddle."

Molly claps and turns to her partner. "May you retrieve my staff? Oh, and you can leave the papers with me."

"Oooh alright." Ryane moans complaintatively and sighs. "When will I ever get 'ze time to find a daring gentleman?"

Ryane said the G in gentleman like how the J in 'Jacques' is pronounced.

The adult theurgist hands Molly the clipboard and trots out of the room and the door closes with a gentle tap. Molly watches her partner walk out, shaking her head, then turns back to Scarlet and Nicole.

"I thought violence wasn't allowed on school grounds, Scarlet," Molly says.

"Oh… Uh, well I challenged Ashley and this dog professor of Balance permitted that we could battle," Scarlet explains.

"I see." Molly shakes her head and sighs. "Dear Ashley should really control herself."

"You know her?" Scarlet asks.

"Yes, I am her colleague and friend," the theurgist answers.

"Ooop," Nicole sounded, trying to remember something. "Oooh! Does this mean you're one of the Four Elite Initiates, like Alex?"

Molly nods and grins with delight. "I see you have met Alexander already. I don't suppose you two are in the same dorm room?"

"Yep," Nicole answers. "Morgan and Adrian are with us too, the ones behind you."

The necromancer points past Molly's shoulder to her conjurer and thaumaturge friends.

"Those two look pretty close," Molly giggles. "And no wonder this 'Adrian' sounds familiar. The other nurses were talking about a boy placed in the girls' dorms. It's an unexpected thing, indeed."

"Isn't that like old news already?" Scarlet asks. "It's been four days."

"I think Ravenwood has other news on its hands; two novice students challenged the Scales of Judgment, the Elite Initiate, the Green Peregrine prefect, and finished the battle in a draw. I'd say that's pretty impressive, you and Adrian. But let me tell you this, Scarlet. Ashley was put in a worse condition than you guys."

"What? Really?" Scarlet felt a bit of pride, but then stopped herself. "Oh, I'm sorry to-"

"No no. It's fine. This just means that you two combined must've really been more powerful that Ashley," Molly says, approvingly.

"You don't mean…?"

"Yep!"

Scarlet remembers what happened before she swung Adrian at Ashley, before the explosion of Balance and Ice. She managed to give some of her pyromantic mana to Adrian.

"Hey uh," Scarlet reads the theurgist's nametag again. "Hey Molly, what would happen if you mixed fire and ice magic together?"

Molly raises an eyebrow. "Either the magics would cancel each other out or result in a destructive outcome. Why do you ask?"

Scarlet glances at Adrian, focusing on his right leg, the leg that struck Ashley's Sorcery-charged spear during the last battle.

"How is his leg?" Scarlet asks.

The theurgist turns and sees the thaumaturge resting. "Are you saying that you two combined fire and ice magic?"

"Maybe."

"Well I haven't checked on him yet," Molly explains. "I've many patients. Are you saying that Ashley struck your friend's leg as well?"

Before Scarlet could answer, Ryane popped into the room with a tall, wooden staff, laden with leaves and the head of the staff was twisted around an empty space, like something should've been there. Ryane hands the staff to Molly.

"Thank you, Ryane."

"Save me 'ze chores, of course," Molly's partner muttered.

Molly giggles and rolls eyes, then begins to go to work, turning to Scarlet. The leaf-laden staff's head begins to have viridian energy flicker and spark within and Molly's hand glows with weak, but graceful theurgy. She casually draws a life rune and it disperses into ethereal leaves, whirling around her hand.

"Essence Summoning: Pixie."

The magical leaves orbiting her hand weave together like threads of nature and form a foot-tall girl dressed in a yellow, patchy tunic, skirt, and blonde, tied back hair to match. The young pixie doesn't even need to told as she examines Scarlet's light burns. Molly lifts up Scarlet's red and yellow-flamed robe, exposing the pyromancer's belly, showing the pixie the discolored patch of skin, a bruise. The theurgist makes a sound and flinches from the bruise.

"That must've hurt," Molly says. "Tell me, have you experienced any pain in the area? Stomach aches in particular?"

Scarlet shakes her head. "No. It hurts when I touch it, but other than that, nothing."

"Well, luckily, it has only bruised your… abdominal muscles?"

Molly observes Scarlet's tummy, marveled at her somewhat toned abs. They were subtle, but people could still see the forms.

"For a wizard, you have quite the muscles," Molly says.

"Wooow! Scarly has abs!" Nicole exclaims in wonder.

A bright pink color overtakes Scarlet's face and rolls her head to the side, chuckling. "Well… I train, I guess."

"It is rare to see any wizards practice physical training, except for Ashley," Molly points out. "I'm not saying it is bad. Keep it up!"

"Never planned to stop," Scarlet shrugs.

The emerald-eyed theurgist makes a sweet, pacifying smile, which even captivated Scarlet and Nicole. Ryane noticed the smile as well. She cracked a blush herself but the vixen theurgist's face remained bored. Molly grabs a little pot, opening and dipping a finger in it, to scoop out a large drop of a white cream. With it, the theurgist spreads it softly on Scarlet's stomach, careful not to cause pain to the sore bruise. The experience for Scarlet was amazing. The soreness melted away to what seemed like a small, miniature wave of mountain freshness on her belly. She found it to feel so good; the pyromancer almost slips away into sleep.

"Hehe," Ryane giggled, coming to Nicole's side. "Zat's 'ze Ravenwood Infirmary's top quality magical remedies for vous."

The summoned pixie continued the procedure. She fluttered her wings and flew around Scarlet, forming a shell, or shield of light green life magic, encapsulating the pyromancer within and her burns and bruise began to shrink and recolor into their original skin tone. Nicole "ooh'd" at the sight and gave her applause, which woke Scarlet from her little doze-off.

"There you are," Molly smiles, rubbing the remainder of the ointment onto her hand's skin like a lotion. "As I said, fit as a fiddle! Now, onto Adrian."

The two theurgists go to the other side of the room. Morgan looks up to them and sits back up, letting the two nurses attend to Adrian, while Scarlet and Nicole watched. Molly, with her ointment-lotioned hands, starts to massage the thaumaturge's leg. It was cold to the touch, as perceived to Molly, but she also felt it turn into a warmth. The feeling kept pulsing between warm and cool as she glides her hands along his leg, then feet. After she was done, Molly turns to Scarlet, with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm guessing you mixed in fire magic along with this thaumaturge's ice magic, am I right?" Molly asks.

"Oh yeah," Scarlet recalled. "I was about to tell you, but we were interrupted by-"

Coincidently, she was interrupted again, as a brown-haired boy pops into the room, holding up a few papers. He was dressed in green, vine-designed robes with a hood, looking strikingly familiar to Scarlet and Nicole.

"M-Miss Lionheart! I have some papers for you! Something about a physical for one of your patients," the boy reports in.

"Ah, I see. Thank you, Nightchant, for delivering these to me." Molly makes a pleasant grin for the newcomer as she took the papers from his hands.

"O-Oi!" Scarlet points at the green-robed boy. "It's the life pervert! Ceren!"

"Eh?" Ceren Nightchant swooped his head towards the familiar-looking pyromancer. "Scarlet!"

"You mean 'zis is ze Scarlet you were talking about, Ceren?" Ryane asks.

"Ah, no wonder the name Scarlet sounded so familiar," Molly mused.

Scarlet and Nicole blinks and looks at each other, saying in unison, "Wait what?"

"Ceren here told me about a pyromancer that helped sear shut a large wound along with a thaumaturge who froze the wound numb before the operation," Molly explained. "I'd say that was real impressive."

"Eheh~" Scarlet scratches her head. "Learned that from a badger a while back. There was the risk of him dying of shock, however."

Ceren sputtered in surprise. "Wh-What?"

"It was a good thing Adrian was there to act as an anesthetic," Molly says. "Or so I assume."

Scarlet nods along. "Yep."

Ceren perks up and steps into the room."Eh? Everyone is here?"

"You work here, Ceren?" Morgan asks as she stands up from her chair.

"Uh, yeah," Ceren answers. "It's a bit embarrassing but I'm still apprenticing under Miss Tulipshine, even though I'm an initiate."

"Well 'ze medical area is quite 'ze field of study," Ryane Tulipshine says, flipping her hair and smiling. "It's a big subject of study."

"The only reason I'm still your apprentice is because you don't even pay attention to me!" Ceren scolds at Ryane.

"Ce il vous plait," Ryane says, rolling her eyes. "I know you're just distracted by moi brioches~"

Ryane's hands go under and playfully display her rather ample breasts with a smirk, making Ceren blush and bleed from his nose. He wipes the red juices of perversion away and grits his teeth.

"You're always messing around and I barely learn anything," Ceren complained. "When's the last time you gave me a worksheet or let me watch you operate during surgery?"

"You would just look at my buns," Ryane answers, chuckling with a teasing look.

"You're impossible," the life student says.

"You want to become a surgeon, Ceren?" Morgan asks.

Ceren turns to the conjurer and nods. "I want to become a great one, the best like Miss Lionheart! Well I mean Miss Tulipshine is great as well but you can hardly tell."

To prove his point, he shows Morgan to Ryane, who was now applying lip gloss, glistening her smoochers and smiled to herself with high esteem.

"Ceren, I'm younger than you," Molly says, chuckling. "I don't think you're supposed to call me Miss."

Ceren smiles along with Molly. "Well I am your subordinate, miss."

Scarlet watched the theurgists talk amongst each other, and could help look amused. Adrian rustled around in the corner, finally waking up and yawning silently, almost cracking out his voice.

"Adrie! You're awake!" Morgan exclaims, appearing excited.

"I just had the worst nightmare," Adrian mumbled.

"What?"

"I accidently mixed sand into my pastries and mistook sand for salt when I made gumbo," Adrian explained.

Scarlet snickers and shakes her head. "There's absolutely worse."

Molly noticed Adrian wake up and raised the papers she had in her hands to read.

"So Adrian wants to join the cricket team," Molly skimmed through the papers. "He requires a physical examination for this year. It's pretty surprising when Ravenwood's cricket team gets another teammate."

The theurgist sets aside her staff to Ryane politely, then goes to settle her papers and clipboard on a countertop, beside a sink and below some cabinets with medical supplies.

"Are they that bad?" Nicole asks.

"The worst," Ceren sums up.

"And ze' Avalonian team still reigns supreme of all cricket teams," Ryane adds on.

"Well, I don't think I'll see the difference if Ravenwood's team gets another player," Scarlet says, smiling with the pride of Avalon's cricket team.

"I'm not hoping to make much of a change," Adrian muffles out of his blanket.

"Say, Miss Molly," Ceren Nightchant starts, "Don't we have to clear out all other patients and visitors before a physical?"

"Hmm?" Molly's head turns to Ceren as she reached up into the cabinets. "That won't be nesscessary. We're all nurses and dormmates. You could learn a thing or two when observing me at work, Ceren."

"A-Alright," the life wizard subordinate stammers.

Molly brought down a few instruments from the cabinet; a stethoscope around her neck and a little rubber mallet. She then turns for Adrian's bed.

"Sir Kensington, may you take off your cloak and top?" the elite initite asks him.

Scarlet watches casually as the procedures begin, noticing Adrian hesitate a bit to take off his dress shirt, but does anyway, revealing his slim, finely toned athletic figure, with firm abs and muscular biceps. He also had tattoos of thorny, rosen vines, wrapped around his upper left arm and of course, the two magic circles, branded onto the side of his waist and ribcage. Everyone was taken by surprise at Adrian's figure. Nicole ooh'd. Morgan blushed. Blood dripped down Scarlet's nose. Molly held fingers to her lips and red cheeks. Ryane couldn't help but smile and give an alluring look. Even Ceren gawked. Molly took a while to get her mind back on track, and then noticed the tattoos and brands. She especially winced at the magic circles branded onto Adrian, imagining the pain of hot iron being stamped onto the more pain-sensitive parts of his torso.

"I didn't want to show these magic circles, but I had no choice," Adrian says, looking to the side.

"Were these forced upon you?" Molly asked.

"No, I decided it for myself," Adrian answered with a somewhat bitter look to the wall.

"Oh… Then what about these vines and roses? I thought tattoos were for criminals and pirates."

"Tattoos can also be a form of art," Adrian smiles. "Besides, this is in memoriam for a friend."

"I see," Molly mused. "Shall we begin?"

The Assistant Chief of the Infirmary beckons to Ceren with a finger to come and watch.

"Y-Yes, Miss Lionheart!" Ceren says with a hand to his forehead, taking a notepad along with him to take notes.

Molly giggles slightly while slipping her hands into latex gloves, then puts on the headset of her stethoscope and presses the drum to Adrian's chest with a finger on the stethoscope's diaphragm. Morgan was next to Adrian's bed, watching from his side. She coughs and hides her blush as the conjurer goes to join Scarlet, Nicole, and Ryane.

"Kekeke~3 Was ze' monsieur's fine physique too much for you, myth wizard?" Ryane giggles to Morgan.

Morgan grumbled and settled next to Nicole, hiding her face from the world in embarrassment.

"Oh I know ze' pressure of facing such a man," Ryane teased. "Such a man'sboldness that makes a mademoiselle such as you gulp in awe~"

"St-Stop it!" Morgan whined.

Scarlet was also like Morgan, red like her robes from the neck up, but she couldn't help and snicker at Morgan, while Nicole created sounds of wonder from her lips, watching Molly at work.

"It's hard to imagine someone young as Molly look so professional, especially as a nurse!" Nicole exclaims, "Or is she a doctor?"

"As her title suggests," Ryane begins to speak up, "She is better than me in her work, both in ze' medical and surgical area. Plus, out of almost all ze' theurgists of Ravenwood, she is one of ze' hardest hitting in terms of spells. And don't even get me started on Molly's beauty. She's an idol of Ravenwood. Many call her the Goddess of Ravenwood, even from ze' other schools local to Ravenwood."

"I think she got me bisexual," Nicole says.

Scarlet rolls her head, then tilts her head at Ryane. "So if she's formally an initiate, she's only been in Ravenwood for three years?"

Ryane nods her head. "It is surprising to find others zhat can match in power with one of the Elite Initiates. The most powerful of ze' four in fact."

"Wow, really?" Morgan asks.

The conjurer turns her head to hear Adrian snickering and trying to hold in a laugh. His cheeks were puffed and the lips were shut tight as he squirmed around with arms crossed on his chest, while Molly was patiently feeling around his waist and between his legs, checking if everything was alright and normal.

"Alright now," Molly says with a gentle voice. "You can stop trying to hold still now."

Adrian lets out a huff of air, silently chuckling under his breath.

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "Did she just-"

Ceren looks over Molly to the group on the other side of the room, nodding. "She just."

Molly now takes a hold of a small hammer-like thing with a rubber head. "I'm going to test your reflexes now, okay?"

"Alright," Adrian nods along obediently.

Morgan coughs into her fist and manages to lessen her blush to a bright pink. "So when can Scarlet get back up on her feet again?"

"Give it quinze minutes," Ryane says. "Fifteen."

"Oooh, I can't wait that long," Scarlet says.

"Well I think I'm gonna get the rest of the bags to the girls' dorms," Nicole says, getting up onto her feet.

"Are you two going to be fine?" Morgan asks Scarlet, beginning to follow Nicole.

"Yeah. Fifteen minutes, right?" Scarlet asks for confirmation. "I'll meet you guys there."

The Scarlet Spellsword watches as Morgan and Nicole smiles at her, and the two wizards of myth and death leaves the room.


	15. 15 - Owl Soup

"Why is it that they were placed side by side?" Morgan says.

Scarlet and Adrian were tucked into Nicole's bed, still on orders to rest. Scarlet was awake, fiddling with her wand, trying to get sparks out of it, while Adrian slept soundly, deep into slumber from being sleep-deprived.

"I protested," Scarlet says. "But the theurgists were being mischievous and carried us to the same bed. I don't mind really. It's not like Adrian will have his arms around me."

An idea sprung into Nicole's mind as she makes a sly glint in her eye and rolls the ragdoll Adrian over, wrapping his arms around Scarlet, while the pyromancer immediately dropped her wand and struggled to swat away Adrian's arms, but she gives up, becoming too tired. Morgan blushes as she sits on the bedside, giggling slightly.

"Is it okay if you guys go to Olde Town without us?" Scarlet asks, looking uncomfortably at Adrian.

"Sure," Morgan smiles. She tucks Scarlet and Adrian in and gives them both small, motherly kisses.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two are siblings," the conjurer comments.

The pyromancer's amber eyes drifts to the side, her lips quivering a bit with embarrassment. "Did you really have to tuck us in like that?"

"Well~" Morgan looks to the direction opposite of Scarlet and Nicole, blushing a bit and smiling. "I don't know. It was on instinct, I guess."

Scarlet chuckles. "You aren't our mother, you know that?"

"Oooh, I know," Nicole perks up. "She just wanted to kiss Ad-"

The necromancer's loose lips suddenly seals shut as Morgan kept a convincing grin, having a wand in hand behind her back, sparkling a bit.

Scarlet tilts her head at the necromancer. "What was that, Nic?"

Words struggled to come out of her mouth, but Nicole could only muffle out gibberish, as Morgan gleefully rushes behind Nic and grabs the necromancer by her hood.

Morgan seemed chipper and excited as she glanced at Scarlet. "Well, now, I'd say we'd best get going, right Nicole?!"

Nic managed to unseal her lips. "MORGAN LIKES-"

The conjurer blushes bright red and shuts Nicole up and runs to the door, dragging the necromancer along with her.

"Time to go to Olde Town to getallthestuffandstuff- BYE!"

The bedroom door was slammed shut. Scarlet was lying there confused with what just happened, but she rolls her eyes and rests her head on the pillow, gazing up at the ceiling. The pyromancer sighs as lines of film frames wave and float around in her mind, recalling the past events. Every time that she had fought; will o' wisps shooting from Scarlet's wand to ward away lost souls into firey disappearance & not being able to notice other souls rushing for her, the clashing of swords, the pyromancer's fire against a pirate's iron blade, while another blade came down for the name of her neck, the chalk shook up into the air from the tremor when Scarlet slapped the magic summoning circle, quicksand being the ball and chains around her ankles as Ashley Breeze moved in closer for the final strike. At those times, Scarlet remembered that she was not alone.

_"Watch out, idiot!"_

_ A gust of chilling wind and snow._

_ "Hey, Scarlet. I have a plan."_

_ A battle cry as his leg moved in for the blow._

"That's right…" Scarlet recalled.

_Somebody was always there to watch my back_, _or bring out the plan with me,_ she thought. _And most of the times, it was Adrian._

"I need to get stronger," Scarlet muttered to herself. "I have to be able to do this by myself."

Scarlet turned her head to face Adrian. He was still asleep, breathing quietly with his arms still around her.

"Take your arms off me, will ya?" Scarlet complains in a whisper.

The slumbering Adrian answered with a few seconds of silence, followed by him mumbling something about sand and cakes, and then his arm hugged onto Scarlet a bit more snug, making her frown in discomfort.

"Tch…"

Scarlet was too weak to do anything, so the pyromancer sighs and lets it go. She wasn't blushing anymore, not seeming to mind her predicament.

"Hey Adrian... Thanks. But next time, I'll save your ass."

Scarlet rolls onto her side, having the rest of her body facing Adrian, and then curls up a bit. In time, her eyes decided it was time to rest, and snored away.

In the Green Peregrines' section of the girls' dorms, Ashley Breeze lays in her bed. Her olive-green colored lips bunched together as the prefect kept thinking about how she was brought down to a tie by two novices. Her blind eyes gazed at the ceiling, her irises void of understanding of how the environment around her was, seeing only black with kaleidoscopic patterns of mixing, washed colors in her mind, with tiny, faded mana forms everywhere. Ashley's ears pick up a _click_ of a door and a twist of a knob, and the sorcerer turns her head to the sound. In the blackness of her closed-off vision, three wisps of mana grow bigger and color their selves to match the signatures of some familiar people, but they were still so blurred that the mana forms didn't take humanoid shapes.

"_Alexanderu-kun, Molly-san,"_ Ashley called out.

The two wizards enter the bedroom; Alexander Mythshade the Conjurer, Molly Lionheart the Theurgist, Elite Initiates just like Ashley.

"Are you doing fine, Ash?" Alex asks, tilting his head at the sorcerer.

"I'm fine, but leave such questions to yourself," Ashley answered sternly. "Why did you two come?"

"What? We can't visit a friend?" Molly smirks sits on the side of the bed, having a hand over Ashley's left leg. "That's awfully mean of you Ashley."

"I suppose Emily came as well?" Ashley mumbles.

"Yep, I'm here," a new voice sounds.

Another person enters the room. She had purple, short hair that only went down just beyond her jawlines and covered her right eye. Her robes were arcane and made the girl look like that of a wise sage, with oversized sleeves, a rain hat, and a flowing dress skirt, all colored a holy vanilla-white, with purple trimmings and yellow lightning bolts decorated evenly and sparingly over her robes and hat. The diviner hugged onto her considerably thick notebook as she walked to the bed side, glancing down on Ashley beside Molly and Alex.

"And the great warlord, Emily Stormheart, returns," Alexander chuckles. "How was your match at the Arena?"

"Heh, not even a scratch," Emily says with confidence. "I can't say the same for you, Ashley."

"Funny, Emily." The sorcerer manages to smile a bit.

"So what's this I hear about you getting into a battle?" Emily looks up and down at Ashley's burns. "Did you actually let two novices beat you up like that?"

"I fought with fair power, Stormheart." Ashley sighs to the ceiling. "One of them challenged me in the first place. She even forced me to use my staff in the style of _sojutsu_. I was winning, but just as I was about to finish everything, a friend of hers jumped in and balanced the scales. In the end, I was forced to use my full power on the final strike, as much as I hate to admit it."

"I never knew those novices could fight to such an extent," Alex said. "You think their two dormmates could be the same?"

"You mean Morgan and Nicole?" Molly asks. "After what happened, you'll never know. Especially Morgan. I think I felt a lot of mana flowing from the conjurer. I was never able to feel mana from other people before without trying."

"It seems these new batch of novices might be the Elite Initiates next year," Emily chuckles. "But Ashley, tell me how they fought."

"Knowing you, Emily, I'd rather let you experience it for yourself, you tricky girl," Ashley mumbled.

"Aw. Come on, Ashley~"

"Well… The two wizards I fought against were a pyromancer swordswoman with great resolve, and a young man who was able to mix necromancy and thaumaturgy. As far as I could tell, he could even change his form," Ashley explained. "The pyromancer's name was Scarlet Night. The novice summoned three firecats at once, then casted a spell I have never seen before; a sword of fire formed from her wand. I was pretty sure it wasn't even a treasure card."

"I know that spell," Alexander speaks up. "It's a spell that's rarely used, called the Cinderblade Cutlass. The spell is of magus-to-master ranked, depending on how much mana you pour into it. You certainly won't see it in magic duels."

"Really?" Emily says with intrigue. The diviner was scribbling down fine handwriting in her notebook, taking notes.

"The pyromancer managed to keep up with my martial arts," Ashley added on. "But I think she would prove ineffective towards mid-ranged and long-ranged wizards, like you, Emily."

"You think a master strategist doesn't know about that?" Emily says, smiling along the way. "I've fought dog knights before."

Alexander settles down on a beanbag. "Swords, huh?"

"Did you get inspired, Alex?" Molly asks. "A sword of fire?"

"How should I forge magic into swords?" Alex asks himself.

"I wonder how Alex is able to keep up his grades while practicing metalwork and blacksmithing," Ashley wonders aloud.

"Ashley, why don't you tell me about this other wizard," Emily requests, having her wand pen on the pages of her thick notebook.

Ashley blinks at Emily, or at least tries to. "Ah yes, Adrian Kensington…"

Emily tilts her head. "You mean the one that was placed in the Violet Nightingales' section of the girls' dorms?"

Ashley nods. "That's right. He was strangely able to effectively combine the magics of ice and death. I did not feel any sorcery in the works either. It was as if Adrian actually fused those magics into one. There's not much I can tell you about him, as I am blind and only able to see mana. But I'll tell you this, taking a kick from him could break your bones. Break a boulder even. Perhaps you could ask _Alexanderu-kun._ He witnessed the fight."

Emily takes Ashley's suggestion and glances at her fellow conjurating wizard.

"Oh?" Alex stumbled with his words. "Oh uh, well, um. He had these seven ice crystals floating around him. They talked on their own and followed his orders, like they were clockworks or robots or something."

"Oh yes, those," Ashley recalls. "I saw little mana in them. I could not even dispel them."

"Dude, with those seven things, he like shot some kind of energy beam of ice magic out of his palm, blowing a hole in the leaves of Bartleby," Alex added on. "It was all just raw magic."

"Mhmm~ Please, go on," Emily says, having her notebook hover around her as she takes out another notepad to write on, crossing her legs to get comfortable.

Alexander blinks at Emily, watching her take notes like a madman… madwoman. "Y-Yeah, he was also able to change his body parts into ice magic like Adrian was part snow elemental."

"And in the end, Scarlet used Adrian as a human weapon or something when she couldn't use her sword of fire," Ashley concluded.

"Hmm…" Emily Stormheart now had a bunch of summoned notebooks around her, making the diviner a literal cocoon of books orbiting around an insane researcher. "So lemme get this straight…"

Emily drops a fist in her palm. "This Adrian person, is a snow elemental that fights like a ninja pig, who is also a wraith, and is a sword!"

"I think he was actually a whip, but I guess you could say that," Alex shrugs.

"Great!" Emily snaps her fingers and all of the notebooks are faced towards Molly, Ashley, and Alex. "I guess I can show you what info I've gathered and counteractive stratagems for Adrian and Scarlet!"

"But I'm blind," Ashley says.

"Oh. No thanks, Emily. We're just fine-" Alex's words stop dead in their tracks as he looks to Emily's 'notes.'

"Emily, this is all just kindergarten drawings!" Alex points out.

The conjurer observes in disbelief at all the pages, showing poorly drawn crayon pictures of "strategies," a snow elemental dressed in ninja clothes, kicking a supposed figure of Ashley, and a blonde girl in red clothes with sharp teeth, angry face, and a sword of fire.

"Hey, you know what?" Emily knocks her head against Alex's. "Why don't ya SHYADDUP? How's that sound?"

"Now, now," Molly says, looking nervously at Emily with her hands repeatedly floating down. "Why don't we just calm down to a nice cup of tea-"

"THIS IS HOW I TAKE NOTES, ALEX," Emily yells.

"I don't see how childish drawings can be notes," Alexander whimpers with a forced smile.

"You two be quiet, or I'll have you do all the gardening for the necromancers," Ashley spat out.

Immediately, the storm and myth wizards shut up.

"Eheh," Molly chuckles. "Thank you, Ashley-dear."

Emily lets out a huff of tense air and shuts close her multiple notebooks with indignance.

"Well. We all know that out of the four of us," Molly starts, "Ashley is the strongest. I wonder how you guys will fare against Scarlet and Adrian."

"Well you'll never know," Emily shruggled with a smirk. "Ashley is all power. Alex is the tricksy type. I'm the girl with a plan! I bet they can't get a step towards me without a Weakness around their heads and a storm shark's maw on their ankles."

"Perhaps if you face them one on one," Ashley warns. "The fire and ice wizards have surprising teamwork."

"Alright then," Emily says, as she draws a crude, crayon drawing of a girl pyromancer and a boy thaumaturge, hugging each other in a flower meadow surrounded by defeated opponents of all kinds.

Alexander leans over to see what new 'notes' Emily has made this time, but she swipes her notebook away and sticks a tongue out at Alex. Molly glances over at Emily with concern.

"Don't tell me you're going to start a fight as well?" the theurgist asks.

Emily Stormheart shakes her head and squeezes onto her thick notebook. "This might be useful in the future. You can never be too sure."

"I expect no less of a wizard descended from a Dragonspyrian general," Ashley smiles, turning to the sound of Emily's voice.

The diviner grins in response and tugs down on her rain hat. "So what do you guys plan to do? Hey Alex, did you not give that Adrian person the tour today?"

"Huh?" Alexander perks up to the sound of his own name. "Oh yeah, I did. I guess the rest of the tour is canceled because of that battle between Ash versus Scarlet and Adrian."

"Well…" Molly's hand glows with green magic as she waves it over Ashley, then nods afterwards. "Just a little magical bio-scan. Your mana should recover soon, Ashley. Anyways, I have to return to the Infirmary. I still have patients with reports of burns and necrovulnus."

"Necro- what?" Alex tilts his head at Molly. "What's necrovulnus?"

"Necrovulnus is a condition after being wounded by undead. If not treated, it can be fatal on your spirit's health, making you unable to regenerate mana, and cause the wound to rot," Molly explained.

"Oooh, that's nasty," Alex says, flinching at the thought. "W-Wait, you said undead. Where in Wizard City would there be undead?"

"Normally, incidents like that come from the Death School, usually a mistake in class presentations. However, these cases are all coming from Triton Avenue, strangely. Even the Dark Cave and Haunted Cave," Molly explains further. "Why would wizards venture into the caves?"

"Triton Avenue?" Emily crosses her arms with fingers around her chin. "I'll report to Professor Balestrom on this. Maybe the Gryphonbane siblings will be sent."

"That's a good idea to report to Balestrom," Molly says. "But don't you think you should go yourself, or with other wizards?"

Emily sighs and shakes her head. "Times are busy for me, especially with all the upcoming matches at the Arena. Perhaps the Headmaster will have a say in this and send us to Triton Avenue. Perhaps even the other two streets. I heard rumors about rogue fire elves and cyclopes."

Alex listens intently on the words of Wizard City's troubles. "Or…"

Everyone else turns to Alexander. "Or?"

The conjurer blinks at everyone and begins to speak. "Scarlet, Adrian, Nicole, and Morgan. They said that they were sent to Unicorn Way by Headmaster Ambrose. That's the reason why Unicorn Way was able to reopen. Perhaps the Headmaster will send to them to the Three Streets as well."

"But are they not novices?" Emily asks. "We are only on our first quarter of the school year."

"They did what they were supposed to and even fought that skeleton, Rattlebones. The Violet Nightingale girls, and guy, uncovered that Malistaire really was the reason for Wizard City's troubles," Alex explains.

"I always believed Professor Malistaire was a good person," Ashley says. "I was wrong."

The Four Elite Initiate mused into silence. Alex thought about how Malorn Ashthorn felt about Malistaire, as a teacher. Ashley also had the same thoughts that Malistaire must've had a reason for his evil acts. Ever since his wife, Sylvia Drake the former life professor, died of a sickness, Malistaire Drake did seem to act differently. She recalled his behaviors up until the fall of the Death School and the disappearance of its professor.

Emily starts to get up from the bed. "Anyways, I should go and report to Professor Balestrom…"

Back at the Violet Nightingales' part of the Girls' Dormitories, Adrian also thought about Malorn's words about his teacher; that Malistaire wasn't a bad man, only pained. The thaumaturge had woken up a while ago, two hours after Scarlet fell asleep. He was sitting up on the bed with Scarlet beside him, with his half of the blanket wrapped around him. Adrian's mind was mixed with all kinds of thoughts. Numbers and codes floated alongside memories of the battle with Ashley, and Malorn's thoughts about Malistaire. All of that came to a stop as Adrian heard the creak of a door and a fluttering of feathers and wings. The sounds made him question and he stretched his limbs and yawned. It was a struggle, but Adrian managed to get off the bed and onto his feet. Cautiously, the thaumaturge stepped slowly, careful not to strain his legs too much.

"Oho, that is quite enough, young wizard," a new voice sounded.

Adrian glanced up to see an old, bearded man with a monocle, dressed in starry, purple robes.

The ice wizard sighs and plops back onto the bed, beside Scarlet. "Headmaster Ambrose?"

Merle nods, while a white owl with glasses, dressed in a mortarboard and scarf that matched Ambrose's colors, flew in to land on the bed.

"I heard that you and Scarlet challenged a fight against Ashley Breeze the Elite Initiate in a _demonstration_ for Professor Wethersfield's class," Ambrose says, chuckling a bit while stroking his beard. "I now see the results for myself."

Adrian smirks and looks beside him, to the owl then to his pyromantic friend. "Scarlet here started the battle and I couldn't help but jump in to balance the sides."

"I see, I see," Ambrose smiles along, but then he adjusts his monocle in discomfort. "Mister Adrian… Are you um, do you usually sleep in the same bed as Scarlet?"

Adrian innocently shakes his head, not knowing why Ambrose would raise the question. "I woke up here in Nicole's bed alongside Scarlet. I haven't seen Morgan or Nicole anywhere."

Ambrose kept silent, and then coughed into his arm. "Anyways, I came to talk about the matters of Wizard City."

Adrian raised his brow. "More trouble?"

"_Hoo~ Hoo~" _the owl spoke up. "We have received information about recent incidents from an hour ago. Patients are injured and inflicted with necrovulnus, all of them reported to come from Triton Avenue. It seems that more undead swarms the street of storms than before, and they are attacking."

"I see…" Adrian says, looking at the owl intently. "The owl… can talk."

The white owl was just as confused as Merle Ambrose. "You didn't catch anything that I just said, didn't you?"

"No, no, I did," Adrian chuckles. "I just never saw a talking owl before."

"The owl's name is Gamma," Ambrose says. "But anyways, back to the matter on hand."

"Are you saying you want us to go to this Triton Avenue?" Adrian asks.

The headmaster nods. "Not just Triton, but Firecat Alley and Cyclops Lane as well."

"Well as you can see," Adrian starts, gesturing to himself and Scarlet. "We are pretty mashed up from the last battle. Plus, it would be pretty tiring if the four of us were to jump from street to street, handling each of the problems."

"And that is why you four will split up," Ambrose says.

"What?" Adrian looked a bit surprised. "I think going individually would endanger us."

"I am well aware of that," Merle Ambrose says, smiling a bit.

"Which is why we are sending wizards to assist each of you students," Gamma hoots. "You have proved your powers."

"Wait, who's going to be with us?" Adrian asks.

"Other students that you should be familiar with," Ambrose smiles.

Adrian tilts his head. "Other students?"

"Sounds like a plan," Scarlet speaks up.

The pyromancer stretches on the bed and sits up, yawning and weakly leaning on Adrian.

"Gooood morning," Scarlet moans. "Or is it still early afternoon?"

"Tis' 1:48," Adrian reads on the clock above.

"Ooooh?"

Scarlet's head lazily slid off of Adrian shoulder and she collapsed onto his legs, yawning even louder.

"Since when did you wake up?" Adrian questions with a raised eyebrow.

"I heard annoying owl hoot," Scarlet mumbles. "I don't like owls."

"_Whoo, whoo_ doesn't like owls?" Gamma asks, showing a bit of hostility to Scarlet.

"Shut up," Scarlet moans, drowsily raising a finger to Gamma. "I'll make bird soup out of you."

"Wh-What?" Gamma steps back, seeming bewildered.

"Actually," Adrian smiles. "Owl seems like a good ingredient by itself in a soup. Good flavor~"

Gamma shivers and the owl flies up behind Merle Ambrose, shivering in fear. "These students are wolves!"

"Actually, I'm also part lion," Adrian throws out.

"A lion!" Gamma exclaims.

"Now now, Gamma, students. Please don't talk about using each other in soups," Ambrose chuckles worriedly.

"Okay," Adrian goes along. "Then we can deep fry the owl instead."

"That actually sounds tasty as well," Scarlet simply blurts out.

Gamma squawks and shrieks and shook in fear, while Adrian and Scarlet giggled to each other and Ambrose smiled, also snickering a bit.

Gamma flutters urgently around the room. "Wolves, lions! _HOOOOT!"_

"Relax, owl," Scarlet calls out. "We aren't gonna eat you, but you're still annoying."

"Wolves!"

Gamma flew out of the room and Ambrose shook his head at Adrian and Scarlet.

"But anyways," the headmaster starts to speak, "I am sorry to strain your bodies but I feel it is urgent that you wizards are sent to these three streets as soon as possible. I do not believe we can wait around to see the outcomes of the streets, and eventually, all of Wizard City."

"Well then pray to the gods or something that we can get better soon," Scarlet says. "Wait, Adrian, what was that about you being part lion?"

"Huh? O-Oh."

Adrian meant to keep silent about it, but he figured it would be more bothersome to cover it up.

"I have canis and panthera blood within me. Marleybonian and Zafarite blood be exact."

"Canis, panthera…" Scarlet raised her brow on it. "Dog and panthers?"

"Panthera, as in Leo; Lion, as I said before," Adrian chuckles. "You've oughta take some biology classes.

"Oh don't make me look dumb, stupid," Scarlet says, punching Adrian lightly.

Adrian smiles from the little nudge and rubs his shoulder, where Scarlet hit.

"Anyways," Merle Ambrose speaks up. "I had not planned for you two to start a scuffle with the Green Peregrines' prefect, so my plans for the Three Streets are a bit delayed… Hmm~"

The Headmaster looks to his palm. His hand started to tremble and shake. The light around his hand broke, visually distorting his fingers, until his staff popped into existence, landing in his palm.

"Now, where did I put that deck?" Ambrose questions himself.

His somewhat elderly, bony fingers dig into his white beard, pulling out a deck, bundled together by a leather strap. With that, he slips out a green spellcard and throws it up, letting it float in the air. Without even saying anything or drawing a magic rune, the green card glows into a viridian shine and takes shape, dimming the gleaming light into a unicorn. The unicorn mare neighed and shook her mane, as Scarlet and Adrian cast their eyes upon the beautiful creature.

"Keep this young mare with you, young wizards," Headmaster Ambrose instructs. "She will heal you in time, most likely to full health by tomorrow."

Scarlet blinks at Merle's gift. "O-Oh. Thank you, old man!"

"This is greatly appreciated, sir," Adrian says with a subtle smile.

The old wizard nods his head and strokes his white beard. "Do ready yourself when time presents itself. Now Gamma! Return to me."

A weak hoot comes from the hallway and Gamma the Owl returns, hovering by Ambrose's side. The two disappears in a poof of magic dust. The unicorn was still in the room. The mare comes to the side of the bed and bows to Adrian and Scarlet. An aura surrounds the unicorn's horn and rainbows surrounds the pyromancer and thaumaturge in a circle, appearing like colorful ribbons wreathing around each other. Scarlet glances around at the colorful life magic. She begins to feel lively and full of fresh air, but her burns doesn't seem to heal.

"I guess this magic has to take some time," Scarlet observes.

"I think with this method, it's supposed to heal us more thoroughly," Adrian says.

"How can you tell?"

"Logic. Aren't unicorns supposed to heal you instantly?"

"You're right!" Scarlet put her thought on it. "I've been healed that way by a unicorn before. It didn't cover everything."

"Well, for now, let's just get some rest," Adrian suggested.

The thaumaturge lies back down on the bed and lets out a sigh.

Scarlet blinks at her friend and scratches her cheek with a finger. "Hey Adrian…"

"What is it, mate?"

"Don't you feel uncomfortable sleeping with somebody else? Like, especially with a girl?"

Adrian tilts his head. "No. I don't see why it should be."

He shrugs.

"Come on, lava girl. You need rest."

"Lava girl?" Scarlet smiles and shakes her head. "I don't think that fits me."

The pyromancer carefully levels herself onto the bed, cautious to not trigger pain on her sore muscles. With that, she pulls up the blanket.

"You know… I _do_ usually sleep alone," Adrian starts. "But I have slept with somebody else in my life."

"What?" Scarlet raises her brow to the ceiling. "You already have a girlfriend?"

"What? No. I was going to say my mother."

"Oh…" Scarlet blushes a bit at her recent words.

"I dunno," Adrian says. "I only slept with her once when I was a child. My parents weren't exactly fond of me, you see. I was only able to do so because… Because I had a nightmare or something."

"Oh…" Scarlet's eyes soften. "I never knew my parents. I was adopted by a badger. He was an old fart."

Adrian chuckles into the blanket. "Did he love you?"

"Though it didn't seem like it…" Scarlet smiles warmly. "He did."

Adrian smiles along. "I never felt the warmth of another person, besides that one time with my mother when I was a child. Even so, I couldn't feel her _warmth_ anyways."

"What do you mean?"

Adrian rolls onto his side and faces Scarlet. "I never felt her affection, her care. I could never call her mommy, instead of mother… But ever since I met you guys, I kinda felt those things. You know. Caring and a sense of affection, though you keep yelling and stuff."

Scarlet blinks at his words and snicker. "Sorry."

The fire wizard turns toward her friend. "But you know, we're all friends here. After Unicorn Way, I think I felt getting closer with you guys."

Scarlet shakes her head. "But enough of that mushy stuff."

The pyromancer stuffs Adrian's head into a pillow and giggles.

"Let's get some sleep, perv."

Adrian's rolls his eyes and smiles along. "Yeah, sure."


	16. 16 - Her Name was Arienne

**Today is Arienne's birthday. **

It was her eighth year to be exact. But she didn't know. All she ever knew was fists, blood, bruises, and fights. And once again, it was going to start all over. Arienne laid on the ground with random strands of hay lying around by a stable, as three humanoid figures approached her tired body. A young fox, a stocky dog, and a pudgy frog, all dressed in cheap tunics, older in age, and bullies from their schools.

"Well what do we 'ave here?" asked the dog.

"A _human_ think she can up 'an go 'an sleep in our turf?" the fox smirked.

"We'll show this lil' brat to just saunter up our alley like she's queen," the frog croaked.

**Arienne had beautiful blonde hair,** and amber eyes that were dimmed out from her fatigue. She laid there, unable to touch reality. She felt slight pangs of pain from kicks and stomps on her waist, gut, wherever it hurt most. Arienne's lifeless body was toyed around by punts and kicks from the dog, fox, and frog, but her hair still remained pretty, sprawled out on the dry ground, next to the walls of a stable. Once the boys were done, they laughed and pointed at the roughed-up Arienne and took their leave. At that moment, Arienne's amber eyes started to burn, and her fingers twitched.

"Was I beaten up by these guys?" Arienne asked herself.

She watched the shadows of the dog, fox, and frog moved around on her body, and the laughter of the bullies reached her ears. Their jerk voices ticked Arienne off.

"Who do they think they are?"

Arienne bit her lip.

"These pigs dare stomp on my pride?"

Arienne growled silently.

"Why are their shadows on me?"

Arienne's fingers clenched into fists.

"Why are their goddamn, dirty shadows on me?"

Her teeth grinded together as her lifeless body had strings attatched to her joints. Arienne slowly got up and gazed at her abusers with resent.

"WHY ARE YOUR SHADOWS ON ME, YOU PEASANTS?!"

The fox, dog, and frog stopped in their tracks, a bit surprised, but they slowly turned to Arienne.

The fox's ear twitched. "Did that human just-"

The frog jumped. "Call us-"

The dog growled. "Peasants?"

The bullies smirked as their hands balled up to deliver another round of fists to Arienne, but then their eyes widened as their supposed victim did the same, walking slowly to the three with a limp in her steps and her bangs shadowing her eyes. Despite her opponents being bigger, she charged with no thoughts but only feelings of anger and disgust. Arienne could feel the bones breaking slightly as she brought her knuckles down on the chubby dog, dislocating his snout and making him fall hard into the dirt, letting the momentum roll him into a wooden barrel. **Arienne's hair was beautiful,** and her voice was high and like a fae warrior's. She made more petite war cries as she came down upon the stocky dog, delivering more punches. Each hit was getting progressively weaker and inaccurate as her breathing becoming heavier. Finally, she was satisfied with her latest piece of work, a bruised and beaten dog child. She had bloodied hands to compliment the evidence of her self-righteous deed. **Arienne's hair was pristine,** but her eyes were cold and unforgiving, as the young girl turned to the remaining bullies; the fox and the frog.

"Dirty, disgusting, worthless excuses for living beings," Arienne thought to herself. "They stepped on my pride, and so I'll step on their hearts."

Arienne's feet could have been calloused from walking on bare feet all of her life, but they never got that way, staying soft and like a baby's. She approached the bullies with menacing steps and clenched fists. The fox and frog's faces showed fear, and they took out their daggers. Arienne didn't care. She just wanted to see the pain and ugly regret on their faces as she delivered her punishment. **Arienne's hair flowed with the air** as she leaped, grabbing onto the fox's neck and crashing him into the ground. The fox let out a painful yip as the back of his head made impact with the ground. He managed to make a slight cut on her shoulder, but that only served as all the more reason to have Arienne drive the fox's black nose in with her fist, filled with rage.

"You bloody-"

_Slam._

"-Disgusting-"

_Whack._

"-Miserable-"

_Crack._

"-FUCKING EXCUSE FOR A PERSON!"

Arienne continued her barrage of punches. Suddenly a sharp twinge of pain shot into her side. The agony of a deep cut on her sides numbed out all of her other senses. Though the pain pulsed intensely, Arienne's instincts overrode her urge to drop cold, making her hop forward, away from danger, and twisted around to see the frog with his dagger drawn. Red fluids of life dripped down the edge.

"My blood…" Arienne spoke in her mind. "My blood shouldn't be on the knife of an ugly being like that frog!"

More blood spurted out of her large wound, but she didn't care. She darted for the young, bloated frog, catching him surprised and trembling in fear. Though she was smaller, her hand went for the frog's wrist, the other pressed on his chest, and her foot went behind the frog's foot, making her able to trip the frog backwards and into the dirt with a thud. She was now sitting on top of the frog's pot belly. For the moment, the frog was able to prevail against Arienne in her attempt to bring the knife into his throat by his own hands, but Arienne's free hand made a stunning blow on the frog's cheek. With the bully's hand free of the knife, she raises the blade. **Arienne's hair shined elegantly,** like the unbloodied part of her dagger's silver edge, as she brought it down upon the frog.

"That's quite enough, young lady."

A tightness appeared around Arienne's wrist, and her arm was pulled back. The frog bully, who was under Arienne, was now a frog coward. Quickly, he crawled out from under his attacker and made a run for it. Arienne was panting. Her eyes gazed upon the outlines of the shadow that consumed her own. She looked above her shoulder to find an old badger, whose figure was burly and scarred, and clothed in a blacksmith's attire. His face was worn, and he wore a fine mustache. Arienne tried to retaliate, but the pain from her deep cut on her side that she managed to put to sleep, awakened once again. It was now the pain's turn to put Arienne to sleep.

* * *

><p>Arienne regained consciousness, but the eight-year-old was still in a daze. Her wrists were tied up and bound by a rope, while her legs were fastened by a belt. Arienne found herself tied to a wooden post, in a basement. The only lighting there was is a large furnace. The large wound on her side still bled. A large figure approached her; a silhouette of a buff, burly, brawny badger man. He had a stick, with a pointed end. The pokey end glowed red, like it was made of metal, heated in the furnace behind the badger. Slowly, the glowing, red, pointed end of the stick approached her wound.<p>

"No. Wh-What are you doing?" Arienne asked.

She tries to struggle and squirm around, but her bindings kept her still.

"No! St-Stop!"

The stick came closer.

"STOP!" she screamed.

As soon as the intense heat reached her deep cut, the pain overtook Arienne, and a shroud of black covered her eyes.

Her eyelids opened to reveal her delicate, yet strong amber irises to a ceiling made of wood. Arienne found herself in a small, one-room house with a fireplace, dining table, candles, bed, and stairs to a lower level. She wasn't bound to the wooden post any longer. Instead, Arienne was tucked into this soft bed. This was a feeling that was incomparable to sleeping on dirt, or hay. It wasn't itchy. It wasn't hard. The pillows were soft. The warmth from the fireplace and blanket made her want to snuggle in. But soon, all those feelings disappeared after she saw the old badger again. He was watching Arienne from the dining table while also running his finger along a blunt sword.

"No, no, get away from me," Arienne says, backing up from the bed to the wall, but she wasn't able to due to a new weakness in her muscles.

"And so you're awake," the badger says, with a gruffy, rough voice.

Arienne remembered the heated stick, like hot metal, coming close to her wound. She struggles to back up onto the wall.

"G-Get away."

"Calm down, pisspot," the badger grumbled.

"Get-Get away!" Arienne repeated.

The badger lets out an irritated sigh. "Would you just look at your wou-"

"GET AWAY!" Arienne screamed.

"LOOK AT YER FLEA-MANGLED WOUND, PISSPOT!" the badger roared.

Normally, Arienne would've stepped up to the challenge blindly, but she already terrified. After repeating the badger's words in her mind, Arienne followed his command, and uncovered herself of her blanket. There was nothing on her except for underwear covering her private down-theres and bandages all over her bruises. Bandages wrapped around the young girl's arms, chest, thigh, and legs. She then immediately felt for where the large cut was on her right side. It was sore and wrapped up in cloth bandages. She peeked under the cloth to see that her large wound was now closed.

"How..?" Arienne managed to squeak.

"I seared it shut with hot ironwood," the badger said.

"How is that even possible?" she asks.

"I don't know, pisspot. It just works. Using ironwood as a metal to close your wound was risky. It's a dangerous, magical wood once lit, and chopped from a certain tree. It was the only thing I had around at the time."

The badger wheezed and coughed into his fist, then gets up off the chair and onto his feet.

"Who's kid are ye', pisspot?"

Arienne kept silent at question, but managed to let out a few words. "I have no parents."

"That so?" The badger rubbed his rough beard. "What's yer name?"

"If you'll stop calling me pisspot," she started, "my name is Arienne."

"I'll keep callin' ye pisspot anyways, pisspot," the badger says. "Arienne, that's a..."

The badger went into silence for a bit. For a second, Arienne thought she could've seen the old badger smile.

"Arienne is a… an elegant name," the badger grumbles.

"Then what is your name, old fart?"

"Hrm?" The old badger turns to the fireplace. "Bourke de la Janvier."

"Bork," Arienne tries to repeat.

"B_our_ke," he pronunciates.

"Whatever," Arienne says. "Where am I?"

"The Wild."

"That's a long way from Caer Lyon..."

"So what," Bourke gruffed out. "Why did you beat those kids up?"

She bit her lips, and Arienne's brows squeezed together in anger. "I was sleeping… I think. And… They were stomping and kicking me… They were disgusting. I felt I had to punch their sorry faces. I put their smug faces where they should be, in the ground, rotting, like the damn dregs and jerks they are."

"That's some strong language for a young 'un pisspot like ye,'" the badger comments roughly.

Bourke almost seemed to smile again. "I'd wash it if I were ye."

* * *

><p><strong>Two years had passed.<strong> Arienne found her home, living with Bourke in The Wild. She was now ten years old. She knew came to know her own age. Even though Arienne and Bourke kept arguing, they were like father and daughter. Around the time of harvest, news has reached Arienne and Bourke de la Janvier, of a knight, named Sir Malory, who has been charged of high treason, and now leads the Froudlings, and other creatures of Weirwood, from Dun Dara, to Caer Lyon, in a conquest against King Artorius, the King of all Avalon.

"Dun Dara? Ain't that like close to where we are?" Arienne asks, as she washes a steel bowl.

"Too close," Bourke mumbled.

The old badger was old indeed, but his muscles were still of lumberjack quality. His arm kept pounding at a piece of yellow-white-hot metal, with a mallet of mixed metals. He kept hammering, then grinding all day, while Arienne tended around the house, though she found it boring. Though she was petite in size, her strength was enough to let her unload packs of flour and grains off a wagon and into Bourke's home, built into the base of an enormous tree. A furnace was built into the treehouse, with openings for the outdoors and indoors. On the side of the furnace, was an opening so it could be fed fuel. Fencing of strong wood was built around the tree home, making a field large enough for show horses to run around in. All of the area was below the giant canopy of the tree Bourke's house was built into. Finally, Arienne let down the last sack of grain and went outside to meet her father-figure, the old badger man.

"Whaddayer working on?" Arienne asks.

The old badger grunts and lifts a large piece of finely crafted metal out of a trough of water. The metal hissed and steam lifted from it.

"I've been getting orders of things I haven't made in a long time," the badger blacksmith said.

He raised his piece of work: a steel greatsword.

"It isn't done yet, pisspot. It still needs to have a good grip," Bourke says. "Can you get me some leather?"

The young girl rolls her eyes and huffs. "Where is it?"

"Check the chest by the side of the furnace," the badger points.

Arienne nods half-heartedly and goes to the specified location. Her eyes were cast upon a large, old, wood trunk. It creaked when Arienne's tiny hands opened the chest. Inside, were scraps of metal, wood, and strips of leather, all organized neatly into three sections. She wasn't told how much she should've gotten, and so the blonde girl just scooped up a bunch into her thin, yet strong arms. Bourke's ear twitched and he turned his head to find Arienne approaching him with her arms full of leather strips.

"That's too much," the badger grumbled.

"You didn't say how much," Arienne pointed out.

The badger sighs. "Good point. But how much strips would've been good for a greatsword?

Arienne goes ahead and pours the leather strips by Bourke's side. The badger takes a few strips and settles down on a tree stump next to him, grumbling and humming roughly as he wove the leather around the sword's grip and foregrip.

"That should be good," de la Janvier summed up, and the old badger puts aside the greatsword to cool down.

"So what will we do if the Froudlings reach us, old man?" Arienne asked.

Bourke was about to grab his hammer, but he abruptly stopped. After a long pause and Arienne raising her brow, the badger grunts as he rises up from his wooden stump seat. He lumbers over to a rack full of weapons, and chooses out another greatsword. It wasn't like the other blades. The metal was mostly steel, but had shiny lines and veins of silver, crafted into the blade and edges. On the rain guard of the greatsword, was a small circle, with an image of a silver rose in the center. Bourke de la Janvier glances at Arienne, and then tosses the big weapon at the young child. Arienne raises a brow then scrambles to get out of the way.

"WHY'D YOU DO THAT?" Arienne exclaimed.

"You were supposed to catch it, pisspot," Bourke grunted.

The young girl turned to the well-shined sword, which rested on the grass. She goes and grabs at the hilt with a hand, but she struggled to pick it up. The weapon was six feet long, while Scarlet was only four and a half feet tall.

"Both hands," the badger instructed.

Arienne glanced at Bourke, then back to the greatsword. With both hands, she managed to haul the sword onto her shoulder. The sword was quite longer than Arienne's height, but she managed to make a few swings with it.

"Hmm…" The badger studied her strikes. "Your form is poor."

"That's because this is too big for me, you friggin' turtle," Arienne pouted.

"No, no. It's fine for you."

The old badger points at Arienne's legs with his hammer.

"Keep your knees bent. Stiff sticks will get you killed."

"This is crazy," Arienne scoffs as she follows along with Bourke's instructions.

The old badger man smirks and crosses his arms. "Why do you think I had you do all the heavy work?"

"Just so I could _lift_ this big thing?" Arienne spat back.

"Just drop it, give your limbs a few stretches, and try again," Bourke instructs.

The young blonde girl lets it fall onto the grass and she stares at the blade. "This isn't an ordinary sword, is it?"

The badger kept silent as she thought about the question. "It used to be mine."

"Doesn't look like you ever fought with it."

The badger sighs. "I and that sword went through lots of battles. She has her scratches and blunts, so I reforged her into what she is now. I bet the sword is excited to fight again."

"Why are you calling the sword a girl?" Arienne asked. "Are you a pervert?"

"Her name is Scarlet Rose," the badger says with a grim look.

"Scarlet?" Arienne gave a confused look. "This sword's white and shiny like clouds and coins!"

The badger stared at the sword for a while. "Scarlet Rose paints herself in the blood of the ones she's slain, until the battle is over. It's not a pretty sword to wield, Arienne."

The blonde girl perks up at the sound of her name being replaced with what Bourke would usually call her; "pisspot."

"So you just get and at it and slash a few blokes," Arienne shrugs. "Sword turns red like roses."

"You don't know what it's like to kill people, pisspot," the badger grunts. "It's a scary feeling."

"What do you mean? You think I haven't killed anybody before?" Arienne asks.

The badger's eyes widen at her words. "Hey… Back then, when ye were fighting those three. You were serious about killing them?"

"You mean the dog, fox, and frog?" Arienne tilts her head. "They should've died. They're disgusting. They stepped on my pride like I'm some peasant. Other people shouldn't have to be able to deal with their filth."

Bourke stared at the blonde girl, astounded by her words. Thoughts began to fill the badger's mind.

_This child is not afraid to kill?_

* * *

><p><strong>Three years had passed,<strong> and the war between the Froudlings and Avalonian Kingdom had grown bigger. In that measure of time, Bourke had taught Arienne how to fight with the sword. No shields, just a sword. It wasn't long until the war had reached The Wild. Nearby villages had been caught on fire and the Froudlings were clashing with the knights of Avalon. Bourke de la Janvier had grown older, but his body had only gotten stronger, while Arienne was now at the age of thirteen. Her voice has grown a bit lower. Her body was made elegantly, like a lady's, instead of a warrior's. Her hair was blonde, still, but was paler than golden, but beautiful altogether. Arienne was now as almost as tall as a greatsword, about five feet, while the sword was six feet.

"What is this place?" Arienne asked. "There's a lot of midgets in green clothes."

The setting was of giant mushroom houses and small fences in a small opening around stone hills and a waterfall at the other end of the village. The skies were blue, with patches of clouds floating above. Knights were stationed by the fences of the mushroom town, foxes, dogs, and badgers of all kinds in armor, while leprechauns took refuge in their toadstool homes and caves made into the nearby mountain and stone hills.

"This is Toadstool Village," Bourke de la Janvier explained.

The old badger was in a full suit of iron armor, covering all of his body except for a helmet on his head. In one hand, he held an axe and shield on the other arm.

"Aren't you going to use your sword?" Arienne asked.

She was in a plain, tan tunic, with knee long pants, and roughed-up sandals. She had nothing with her that helped her fight. No armor, no nothing, except for the steel and silver greatsword; Scarlet Rose, in her small hands.

"I vowed never to use Scarlet Rose again," Bourke grumbled. "That sword is for a killer, not a knight. On the other hand, I thought I told you to leave the sword at home. And why do you wear no armor?"

"That armor you made for me makes me move like a tin man. And what do you mean, swords aren't meant for killing?" Arienne whines.

"No, pisspot. Swords are meant to protect the weak ones from harm. We as knights, that is our job," Bourke explained, as he stared into the distant path, scouting for enemies.

"Yeah, whatever," Arienne grumbled. "I ain't got anyone to protect."

The badger's ear twitched at her words. Bourke started to worry about Arienne, and how she would act.

"Well… Just remember what I taught you." The badger paused for a bit. "And stay alive… Arienne."

"Don't worry, old man," Arienne says with a confident smirk. "I had a good teacher."

For a moment, the old badger actually smiled. Bourke turned back and continued scouting for any threats in the distance, while Arienne sat on a toadstool, playing with a piece of grass. A dog knight came to Bourke's side, patting his shoulderguard.

"So why is this child here?" the dog knight questioned. "Is she seriously going to fight?"

"I trained her well, Simeon," the badger answered.

"So you say…" the dog knight mumbles. "Well anyways, it's good to have a Knight of the Silver Rose back with us."

"I'm only doing this for the sake of my house," Bourke grunted.

"Right…"

The dog knight shrugged and went back to his post, as de le Janvier watched him off. Suddenly, a guard from the high hills shouted and alerted.

"The enemy is here!"

Every knight guarding the area took hold of their swords' hilts, and readied for battle. War cries exploded across the shallow gorge of Toadstool Village, both belonging to the knights of Avalon and the Froudlings. Short, long-eared trolls with axes, slingshots, and spears charged into the knights, who held polearms, crossbows, swords, and shields. Though all the warriors met in battle, Bourke and Arienne stood still in their regular positions.

"So what are we waiting for?" Arienne asks as she hauled the Scarlet Rose over her shoulder.

"Our job here is to wait, observe, and bring down a certain target among the battlefield," the old badger grunted. "An un-loyal dog knight by the name of Gravely. He is the one is leading this charge against the citizens of the Wild. We capture him if we can. Otherwise, we execute him."

"Ah, can't I just run in already?" Arienne huffed and kicked a blade of grass as her feet swung around while she sat on her toadstool.

"This is a battlefield, pisspot. This is your first time in a war. Once we find our target, we charge for him," Bourke planned down. "Oh, and pisspot? At least get some proper armor."

"Hmm?"

Arienne's blonde hair swishes around as she glances at the armory. It was a tent, with two weapon racks by the entrance, and a bunch of other equipment inside. She sprinted for the armory and came back to Bourke, dressed in leather boots, iron arm bracers, leather armor, and steel shoulder guards. However, she was still in her tunic and raggy, short knee-long pants.

Bourke raised a furry eyebrow. "That's it?"

"As I said, I can't run around in clunky armor," Arienne moaned.

"Should've stuck to a short sword or dagger instead, with wee armor like that."

"I'd rather run around like a rabbit and the enemy won't even know what hit them," Arienne smirked.

Bourke's eyes narrowed onto Arienne, fretting if letting her into battle was a good idea. The old badger man kept watching her expressions, her attitude in her body, and her fingers, gripped around the sword's hilt as the blade rested flat on her shoulder. Suddenly, she points out to the mass of knights and Froudlings.

"That it?" Arienne asks as she squinted into the distance.

The badger grumbled questioningly and followed her finger to a point in the field. It took him a while, but among the red and yellow trolls and Froudling-kin, he marked a masked knight in dark, spiked armor. Bourke de la Janvier frowned and took a firm grip of his axe and shield handles.

"Follow my lead," the badger instructed.

Bourke's old, but tough and burly figure dressed in steel armor, leaped over the fence and down the stone hill, sliding down and meeting the grass on the bottom. Arienne slung her sword under her arm and took hold of the crossguard like a crossbow, as she hopped down the stone hill, following in Bourke's charge as he called for other knights out of the way, and the two found their selves in a storm of chaos and clashing steel. Arienne leaped up onto Bourke's shoulders to get a higher view, and pointed in the direction of the un-loyal knight, Gravely. Bourke took her directions and continued his devastating charge, running into the Froudlings' territory. The old badger knight roared and bashed Froudlings out of his way like a rampaging bull. Soon, Bourke found himself surrounded by well-armored trolls that he could only fight through with his weapon. The badger turned around to call for Arienne, but she was nowhere to be found.

"That kid," Bourke muttered as he raised his shield and axe.

The Froudlings around Bourke were taller and thicker than the other trolls and wood elves. They kept approaching de la Janvier from all directions, until a sound of metal piercing flesh was made among the ranks of the armored Froudlings. Bourke's eyes widened and the old badger twisted around to glance behind him. The largest troll, yellow in color, with iron armor, fell flat onto the grass with a heavy thud. Arienne was above his body, pulling her greatsword, Scarlet Rose, out from the nape of the troll's neck. As she swung the greatsword onto her shoulder, a third of the sword's length was painted with blood, which soon flowed through the silver veins in its steel blade.

"Whoopsies, looks like I got the first blood here," Arienne said as she smirked.

The young blonde girl glances around and casually counted her foes with a finger as the trolls and wood elves glared at Arienne in disbelief. It wasn't long until the Froudlings shook the thought off and raised their voices, as they charged for Bourke and Arienne.

"Oi, pisspot!" the badger called out for Arienne. "Make this quick, before our target notices has time to run away!"

His words were stopped as he was forced to bash away a large double-axe and swing his axe at a red troll, making a juicy chop into the troll's breastplate and chest. After bringing his enemy down, he caught a glimpse of Arienne's blonde hair. The young girl dragged her greatsword up, bisecting a wood elf in two, and then swung her weapon clean through another burly troll. She wielded her greatsword like it weighed nothing to her, either with one hand or two hands, backwards or forwards. It didn't matter to her. Arienne spun around and danced with her instrument of death, bringing down many Froudlings with no thought. The skies had splatters and vines of bloodshed, flying above the mass of soldiers. She laughed and giggled as she jumped from shoulder to shoulder, to dash above Bourke and thrust her greatsword into another burly troll's chest, driving the fresh corpse into the ground like a snowboard. Arienne flipped her blood-soaked hair as she hauled her Scarlet Rose out of her latest kill and rested it behind her neck. Now the greatsword was bathed in alizarin crimson. Blood dripped off the edge, but the blade still held on to a layer of the blood, like a blanket made from the foes that were slain by it. The light color of the steel below the layer of the blood made the greatsword appear in a scarlet hue; a bright shade of red. Bourke stared at Arienne, eyes widened with horror. The greatsword, Scarlet Rose, reawakened and baptized in the fluid of life by a young girl. Her hair was no longer beautifully blonde like a princess's. A wicked smile was across her cheeks, and all of her body & armor was covered in the dark red blood of her enemies. Arienne had a foot on her latest kill and her head tilted back to stare at the skies above, now all grey and cloudy, with a tint of orange from the fires of the other areas in the Wild. To Bourke, it was like a painting of a bloodthirsty devil, standing triumphant above its enemy in front of a town set on fire. The old badger couldn't believe that he had held the same sword that the devil had held. He knew that he could've looked like a killer to others, but the sight he saw was worse than he had imagined. The image of the blood-soaked demon was bored into his mind. Bourke was in a daze, until a faint voice grew in his mind. It became louder and louder until he could finally come back to reality.

"Hey, old fart!"

Bourke shook his head and cleared his eyes to see Arienne in front of him. She was still covered in blood, but all the Froudlings around the two were slain and dropped dead. The badger glared at the scene around him in horror.

"Y-You did all this?" Bourke asked Arienne.

"You just stood there like a dumbass," she explained with a shrugged.

Though Arienne was horrifyingly bathed in blood, she gave her father-figure a toothy smile. Bourke stared at Arienne's grin, seeming to be calmed down by her cheeriness.

"Well. Um…" Bourke cleared his throat. "Where is Gravely?"

"Over there."

Arienne pointed nearby towards the end of the Toadstool Village gorge, to a fox knight in dark, spiky armor, with a multitude of wood elf archers by his side. The archers' bows were drawn with fire-tipped arrows. Gravely drew out his arm in a command.

"FIRE!"

Bourke heard Gravely's order and raised his shield in front of Arienne. The rain of arrows clunked and pit-patted on his shield like raindrops, while the rest of the arrows landed around them, with the fire on the arrow's heads smothered out by the dirt.

"Heh. Thanks, old man," Arienne says.

She slips around Bourke and runs towards Gravely with her blood-bathed greatsword.

The badger's eyes widened and he yelled out. "Arienne! Stop! Come back-"

Too late. Feathered sticks sprouted out of her body, and the thud of the arrows driving into Arienne's chest was audible to Bourke, who was three sword-lengths away from Arienne. The blonde girl's amber eyes widened as she felt the sharp pain on her bosom, shoulder, and abdomen. All Bourke could do was watch helplessly as his only daughter, burst into flames from the fiery arrows. Her body was now a silhouette drowned in fire, taking a pose like Arienne was reaching for the surface while she was underwater. Heartbroken, the old badger dropped his axe, and then dropped onto his knees.

Bourke couldn't help but roar out in despair, "Arienne!"

For the first time in his life, he felt that his eyes were going to well up. His rough, grizzly voice was now cracking up.

"A.. rie.. enne..."

A tear finally began to form, and escape Bourke's eyes, slowly sliding down the fur on his face. As soon as that tear drop touched a blade of grass, the devastated old badger's ear twitched, and he caught something in his eye.

A finger twitched.

The elbow bent.

Arienne's silhouette began to move, inch by inch, getting progressively faster into natural human motions. Her body was still on fire, but Bourke couldn't make out any expression on Arienne's face, as it was blocked out by the bright flames. Her arm continued to slowly move, grabbing at the arrows and ripping them out of her body. Everyone watched her, with emotions of confusion, mixed with fear. As she tore out the last arrow, the fire on Arienne blazed into a pillar of raging inferno. Bourke was able to see Arienne again. Blood was no longer on her body. Her skin was fine and clean like a baby's. The arrow wounds on her torso and shoulder began to close up. Bourke watched in amazement as Arienne dragged her greatsword; the Scarlet Rose, in front of her, with her shoulder pulled down by its weight. The blade of the sword was still scarlet red, by Arienne herself was pristine and her hair was now golden blonde like when she was younger, unlike her usual pale blonde hair. She raised her greatsword to the sky with two hands. The blazing, intense fire that burned on Arienne's figure spread up to cover her weapon. With a strong cry, she brought the blade of fire brought it down in a horizontal swing, launching a fang of flames at Gravely and his archers. The enemies were consumed by the fire like a big wave, instantly disintegrating the wood elf archers into black ashes, while Gravely flew backwards into a wall carved into a stone hill, crashing and cracking the stone where he landed in. After Arienne's grand attack, she loses her battle ready stance and the fire on the girl stopped and dissipated into the sky, and her golden blonde hair returned to its paler color. Bourke kept staring at Arienne, dumbstruck by what had just happened. Finally, he managed to crack out a few words.

"What was that?"

The words slipped into Arienne's ear and she turned to her adoptive father. "I don't know, but that felt _awesome_."

After hearing her words, the old badger thought about what had happened and widened his eyes in realization. Memories faded back into his conscience as he remembered long ago when he closed Arienne's large wound on her side. He used a stick of heated ironwood to sear the wound shut.

"_It's a dangerous, magical wood once lit, and chopped from a certain tree_," Bourke once said to Arienne.

Scarlet Rose was dropped onto the grass as Arienne held her hands up in front of her face, observing her palms, and then she patted where the arrows once were in her body, patting all over her shoulders, abdomen, and bosom. However, the young girl's thoughts returned to the objective, and her eyes glanced over to Gravely, who was groaning as his body was deep into stone. Arienne bent down for her Scarlet Rose and slowly approached Gravely, once a fox knight, once a traitor, now a helpless whelp in spiky, dark armor. As Arienne came closer, her eyes widened, and then a smile formed on her face.

"You remember me, fox?" Arienne started. "Where's those frog 'n dog friends of your's?"

Gravely's face was hidden in his helmet, but Arienne lifted up the grill to see his face. At first, Gravely's face was full of toughness and clenched teeth, but the fox's eyes opened wide in realization. To Gravely, this was the same blonde girl from the stables, whom he had beaten up with his friends, then had his face bruised by.

"You…" Gravely managed to growl out. "I always knew you were a demon."

"Demon?" Arienne repeated questioningly to herself. "I'm no demon, but I'm glad to see a face I can beat up again. And look at you, betraying the kingdom and joining these ugly Froudlings' side."

Gravely gritted his teeth and frowned with hatred.

Arienne went on, "What, did that Malory guy promise you with gold and high rank if you served him?"

"That, and to purge away peasants like you," Gravely spat out as he tried to struggle out of the stone.

"Me? A peasant?" Arienne snickered, then laughed manically for while, until she finally stopped and sighed. "Bitch, please. I am a queen, and jerk faces like you will be thrown out of the kingdom and into the feeding troughs."

"Some queen you are, still dressed in rags," the fox growled.

Arienne smirked. "Sure, I'm in rags, but I know that my soul is in royal armor while yours' is just rags and scrap cloth."

With that, Arienne raised her sword, preparing to make the final strike. "You're no coward, I'll give you that."

"Just get it over with," Gravely said bitterly.

"Gladly."

With that, Arienne thrusted her Scarlet Rose towards Gravely, feeling the sword dig into hard steel. The young girl suddenly realized that she had thrusted her greatsword into a shield; Bourke de la Janvier's shield.

"There's no need to execute Gravely," the old badger growled.

"Right…" Arienne grumbled. "Just capture him…"

The young girl pulled her greatsword out of Bourke's steel shield and slung Scarlet Rose up and onto her shoulder.

"You didn't tell me Gravely was going to be the same fox that I beaten up from long ago," Arienne pointed out.

"That's because I didn't know, pisspot," Bourke replied as he sheathed his axe.

The old badger turned made a grumpy, unfriendly expression just for Gravely the Unloyal Fox Knight. His mustache furrowed and Bourke grabbed at Gravely's breastplate, ripping the dark armored knight away from the terrain he had been driven into, leaving an crackled stone imprint of the fox's body on the wall.

Gravely spat and burned holes in Bourke's head with his eyes. "You think you're fighting for the right side? You think keeping these peasants, these burdensome oafs, in the kingdom will make Avalon thrive? You think Artorius is has the right idea? I know who you are, Silver Knight."

Bourke raised an eyebrow then tossed Gravely onto the ground. "Son, I'm fighting so that my home won't get burnt down and so that I can just get back to retirement. Gods forbid this war getting any bigger."

Arienne watched the old, burly badger and the fox knight conversate, and then lets out a huff of air in boredom.

"Let's just be done. I already want to see him hung on a post to be tickle-tortured," the young girl whined.

"Tie him up then," Bourke says.

"Tie him up- We didn't bring rope!"

"Your fault. I just want to get back to camp for coffee."

Arienne's expression was full of pure annoyance as she watched Bourke walk off, away and around the battlefield.

"Well…" Arienne glanced towards Gravely. "Heheh. You an' me, going to have a real good time."

Meanwhile, as Bourke was walking, his ear twitched to pick up faint sounds of yelping and yipping from Gravely amidst the clashes of swords and shields. The old badger sighed as the memories of the recent events coming back to view; Arienne's bloodthirsty rampage, the young girl being unharmed in raging fire. From the outside, Bourke appeared calm and grumpy as usual, but within, the old blacksmith was disturbed and worrisome, unable to comprehend what Arienne had done.

"Should I have really trained her with the sword?"

* * *

><p><strong>It wasn't long until most of the war started to die down.<strong> The traitorous knight; Sir Malory, who had led the Froudlings against Artorious and his kingdom, was slain by the king, Artorius himself. However King Artorius was also gravely wounded by Malory and had to be put in bed under critical conditions. As Artorius was preparing to pass on and going through the rites to pass to the Other Side, something had turned into a horrible creature, the Pendragon.

However, Bourke couldn't give more or less of a care, as he and Arienne returned to their home. When Arienne was harmlessly engulfed in a pillar of fire as she fought during their mission to protect Toadstool Village, Bourke feared it was a newfound power that awakened within his adopted daughter, and that it would affect the rest of their lives. The old badger's predictions came true. After settling down back home after the war, Arienne had a difficult time trying to suppress her powers of fire. When news reached Bourke about the court wizard, Merle Ambrose, readying to depart Avalon to explore the Spiral, the badger immediately sought after his help. It was later that Merle concluded to Bourke that Arienne has had an element of fire magic forced upon her, and now magical potential started to grow within her. The badger realized that it was because of him that Arienne had wizardly potential, when he tried to save Arienne's life in the past by trying to sear her deep open wound shut with heated ironwood. Bourke de la Janvier saw this as an opportunity to hopefully direct Arienne off the course of becoming a bloodthirsty swordswoman and start her anew to learning to control her powers of fire by becoming a wizard. And so he sent Arienne off with Merle Ambrose to explore the Spiral and become his apprentice, but not before leaving Arienne with one last goodbye. Because Bourke wished for Arienne to forget the way of the greatsword and start a new life, the old badger also gave her new name. To remember the sword she once wielded and to remember why she had become a wizard…

_Her name is now Scarlet._

As soon the as the young, blonde-haired girl step foot into the portal after Merle Ambrose, the portal closed and Scarlet lost her footing of the magical path through the Spiral, falling into the cosmos and warped away through the rifts of time.

* * *

><p><em><strong>We now return to the near-present, years after the fall Artorius, the departure of Merle Ambrose, and the start of Ravenwood Academy.<strong>_

All the girl could've remembered was stars and magical clouds that were scattered across the Spiral. The feeling of it was strange, like she was a piece of nothing, floating across the stars and worlds of the Spiral. She couldn't remember how long she was stuck there, or if time even mattered at all. Now, Scarlet was lying on the ground. No, it was something like green carpet. Scarlet struggled up. She was still dressed in her rags, the same clothing she was wearing ever since she was left to be an orphan on the streets of Caer Lyon. Scarlet brought up her head and glanced around for her surroundings. To her, it was like a finely carved wooden castle for a king, with trees around her and sunlight breaching through the leaves. Behind her, was a strange door. It was just a door, alone in the middle of this spacious room.

Scarlet struggled to croak out her words. "Where- am… Where am I?"

The sound of a door creaking upon reached Scarlet's ears and she looked behind her shoulder to the lone door.

_No, it's not from that door…_ Scarlet said to herself.

She turned back to gaze in front of her. There was another door, which seemed to be the entrance to this indoor place with trees. Two figures came into view. An old, white-bearded man with a monocle, dressed in starry, purple robes, and an owl with a mortarboard and scarf that matched the old man's colors of his clothing.

"Who, who?" the owl hooted.

"Oh my, we came back right on time," the old man said. "I predicted correctly."

Scarlet squinted her eyes to managed to have her eyes focus in properly on the owl and the old man.

"Who are you? Wait…" Scarlet's brows raised in realization. "You're the court wizard, that Merle guy!"

"Ahah, you are right, Scarlet," Merle Ambrose smiled through his white, fluffy beard.

"Scarlet… Who is Scarlet…" the young blonde girl racked around her mind. "Oh yeah, I'm not Arienne anymore…"

The owl fluttered around and showed expressions of surprise. "Hoot! Hoot! She hasn't aged at all!"

"Indeed," Merle Ambrose agreed.

"Hey." Scarlet struggled to get up on her feet. "You look older than I remembered."

"Well of course," Ambrose chuckled. "It has been many decades, Scarlet, since we have last seen you."

Scarlet's eyes widened. "Decades?"

Merle Ambrose smirked and laughs heartedly.

"Scarlet, welcome to Ravenwood; the School of Magical Arts."


	17. 17 - The Child of Kensington

A woman's voice shouted throughout the manor.

"Chin up! Knees bent! Blade up _et en garde_!"

The rapiers clashes once again and one of them were flipped away in the air, making its wielder fall back. The winner smirked and sheathed her sword. She was a horse woman with a curly mane and dressed in an olive green feathered sun hat. She wore a Victorian dress that matched her hat's color and was suspended under a vest, and its sleeves tucked into her leather, arm-bracing long gloves. Her dress' draped skirt was cut and folded short to show her left leg. She wore velvet red pants and leather boots as well.

"Zhat was poor, young Kensington. Do you expect to be the next earl when you can't even handle the sword right?" the horse woman said.

"I don't like fencing, Miss Vizzini!" Adrian whined as the young boy tried to get up again.

The arm that held Adrian's rapier was limp from weakness, and his other hand went to pat off the bow on his blue sailor outfit.

"Get your rapier and we will try it again. Get up! _Alzarsi!_ _Se lever!_"

One of the dog maidservants who were overwatching the fencing lesson felt pity for the eight-year-old Adrian and beckoned for the horse woman to calm down.

"Please, Margherita! He is only a boy," the maidservant pleaded.

The horse woman's lips made a blubbering sound as she let out a huff of air. "Zis is the art of fencing! Do not expect me to step down."

A new voice sounded in the room, a voice of authority, "Margherita Vizzini. Please do lighten your force on the boy. Adrian, fencing is part of the Kensington etiquette."

The fencing instructor looked to her left side of the large room, following up a set of stairs and to an indoor balcony, to see a husky-border collie mix dog watching over from the upper levels, with a cane in paw, fine black suit, top hat, and dignity in his raised chin. It was Earl Ebenezer Kensington, the Queen's undertaker, and watcher of Marleybone's underground affairs.

"A human as my son, and I learn today that he is also left-handed. Funny," the earl said with narrowed eyes.

"Now Adrian, pick up your blade and start again," his father ordered.

"Y-… Yes, pa," the eight-year-old Adrian stammered and he finished rising up from the carpet and lifted his rapier from the ground.

Miss Vizzini the fencer instructor nickered as she smirked and unsheathed her sword.

"Chin up, knees bent, blade up," she recited.

Adrian nodded and did as Miss Vizzini said. They both held their rapiers up to their faces afterwards in a salute to each other.

"_En garde!"_ the mare spat sharply.

The teacher and her student both swiped their blades to their sides as they side-stepped in a circle. Margherita's eyes shot knives into Adrian. The young boy's eyes kept wide open, looking innocently towards his opponent, when he was really trying to analyze his instructor's every move.

"Strike me, if you dare," Vizzini challenged.

"A-Alright…" Adrian says quietly.

The rapier's edge faced the mare while his left foot was towards her, and his right foot was flat on the floor. After concentrating, Adrian makes his move. The young boy slides toward Margherita with the sword by his right side. When he came into range, Adrian swiped the rapier up from his waist in an arc above him and brought the blade down on the horse woman. Vizzini parried the blade away with ease and tries to thrust towards Adrian's open waist, but the young boy nimbly displaces himself away from the riposte.

"Good, good," Margherita Vizzini says.

Adrian paid no attention to her words. Unlike before, he now had the resolve to win. His father was watching, and Adrian wanted to win his favor. Adrenaline filled the boy's veins and he leapt forward.

The young boy lets out a squeaky battle cry. "Hrrragh!"

His attacks were wild, but his stance was kept steady. Adrian's arm kept swaying frantically, swinging at his instructor from all angles and letting in a few thrusts in between. He was on the offensive, catching Margherite in surprise as she was forced to continually fend away every rapid strike, not being able to counterattack. The mare kept parrying until she found vulnerability in Adrian's form. Quickly after guiding her student's last attack away with her blade, Vizzini takes the opportunity to cleverly strike at his chest, but Adrian saw his fault and bent back and away from Vizzini's riposte in a limbo. He immediately drops onto his back and kicks Margherite's sword hilt from her hand, making it flip away into the air. Adrian didn't know what he was doing but he used the momentum from his kick to roll back and up to his feet to finish the spar with his rapier's tip by Margherite's throat.

"O-Oh…" The mare gulped nervously. "I don't know what you did, and pitting yourself into the ground to disarm me wasn't part of fencing etiquette, but-"

"He did what was necessary to win the duel," Earl Kensington finished her words.

Adrian kept panting as the sword point remained raised up to his instructor's throat, but it was moved away as he fell onto his knee. The silver-haired boy heard footsteps and looked up to find his father.

"You did well for your second week," the earl said. "Miss Vizzini, was he always this good? I have never watched his lessons before."

"No. Not ever," Margherite answered. "Then again, I have always been putting force on the boy in the past. Even if I did let down my rapier a bit, the human forced me into defense."

Adrian's ear twitched in his hair, as he heard the word 'human.'

_Am I really that different? Does me being a human make much of a difference? _Adrian thought.

The young silver-haired boy grumbles and his hands tighten around his rapier's hilt as he got up and onto his feet, while everyone kept discussing about his sudden performance, except for the maidservant, who was down the other side of the room, occasionally glancing up at Adrian, then back, keeping silent.

"Well, I've an appointment to host," Earl Kensington said. "It is eleven-forty. I believe your time here is over, Miss Vizzini?"

The mare nodded. "Yes. I see my carriage waiting for me."

Margherite sheathed her rapier into its scabbard and saluted the others with nods and curtsies, then heads out of the room through a pair of large, wooden, polished wooden doors. After seeing the horse off, Earl Kensington turns to Adrian.

"Marie, take the boy back to his room," the earl ordered.

The maidservant's neck fur stood up on the sound of her name then bowed frantically towards the earl.

"Yes, my lord!"

Adrian turned from innocent to sad, as his eyes watched his father disappear from his view.

_It's always "back to my room." It's not fair,_ Adrian complained in his mind.

His train of thought was cut off when the black and white dress of Marie the Maidservant approached from the corner of his eyes. Adrian glanced up to find Marie.

"Come on, then. Let us go, Adrian," Marie says gently with a paw forward.

Adrian looked away sentimentally then reluctantly took her paw as she escorted him throughout the maze-like Kensington Manor, until they reach his room. The young boy simply pushed away the doors to his bedroom and slips off his shoes, throwing himself on the bed afterwards to let out a sigh. Marie's paw-hands went after Adrian helplessly but she simply gazed at the red carpet with her paws together in front of her dress. She nodded and turned to leave until Adrian suddenly spoke up.

"Wait."

Marie glanced back to the child nervously. "Y-Yes?"

"Entertain me, Marie," Adrian said in his usual monotone voice.

"U-Uhm…" Marie twists clumsily and closes the doors behind her then turns back to Adrian. "How would you like me to do that?"

"Uuuh…" Adrian scratched his head then bounced off his queen-size bed.

The young child of nobility trotted over to his toy chest, digging around through dolls and trains to unveil a collection of books, which were an inch or two thick by average. He picked out a leather green book and held it up to Marie while standing up on his tip-toes. Marie read the cover.

"_The War of Worlds, Book One: The Coming of the Macartians_, by H.G. Waggs?" Marie read with confusion. "This book is for adults, Adrian. You would find it boring!"

"Oh, I read the first nine chapters! It's intriguing!" Adrian said cheerfully, sounding like a girl with his other, high voice.

It was the first time Marie had ever seen Adrian open up to her. It was surprising to find out that he had an unusually high-pitched voice for a boy, but she was even more surprised that Adrian knew a word like "intrigue," or even read nine chapters far into this thick book.

"Well, I'll try my best~" Marie stammered. "What page did you last stop?"

"Page a hundred an' twenty four!" Adrian says, holding his hands with double fingers.

Marie also took surprise towards the fact that Adrian remembered where he left off the book, without a bookmark. Her mind was full of questions, but the dog maid quickly shook them off and returned to the task at hand: read the book.

And so Marie held the pages up to her eyes and read.

"_Saturday lives in my memory as a day of suspense. It was a day of lassitude..."_

Marie continued reading to Adrian, while he smiled and enjoyed her soft, delicate voice. A little while after an hour of her narrating, footsteps approached the door and it opened. Marie and Adrian turned to find a brown-furred Labrador in a jet-black twin-tailed suit and white gloves. It was Brownley, the butler of the Kensington household.

"Marie, that is enough time with the child," he ordered.

"I- … O-Okay…"

Marie gave Adrian a sorry look and closed the book, giving it to him afterwards.

"I, I'll see you later, Adrian," Marie stammered.

And so the maidservant went past the butler and out of the room. Brownley turned to Adrian and narrowed his eyes, and followed after Marie. Adrian was saddened and just threw his blanket over his head.

"My whole world is just this bedroom…"

* * *

><p><strong>Two years had passed <strong>and Adrian wasn't home to celebrate his tenth birthday. Like his family had ever even celebrated his birthday in the past anyways. Adrian himself almost forgot his date of birth. Instead, Adrian was watching over his shoulders at the drapery that flapped around out of the window of his bedroom. He was dressed in thieves' garb, with leather armor, black clothing, and a cloak of matching color, with a hood and mask that hid his silver, snow white hair.

"Oi, Adrian. You's comin' or not?" a cockney accented voice sounded.

Adrian swung his head back to look in front of him, finding his partner in crime, Baxter, a young cat burglar who was younger than Adrian, but more experienced.

"The big boss ain't gon' wait forever for his cha-ching, you hear? An' this is the big boss of the O'Learys." Baxter hissed.

Adrian looked up to his cat partner innocently, nodded, then shrugged. He then swung his head forward in a gesture that said '_Shall we go?'_

"Well… For ye second mission, at least you's knowin' how to keep quiet," Baxter muttered.

"I don't talk unless something needs saying," Adrian put down simply.

"Or you's just eager to hide yer high-pitched voice. Hey, I don't blame you if you sound like a girl."

"What's the problem with sounding like a girl?"

Baxter raised a brow. "What? What do you mean?"

Adrian shrugged and rolled his eyes. "I don't really get this whole boy and girl thing. Let's just go."

The rookie thief pulled his mask over his nose and gave one last look to the open windows of his bedroom, and leapt off the ledge of the building, crossing a large gap then landing with a roll.

"You's a strange guy, kid," Baxter says, then crossed the rooftop gap after Adrian.

The cat burglar and silver-haired thief sprinted across the rooftops, freerunning with ease. The scenery around them was all platforms and rooftops, all raised in different levels. The lights of the city was beautiful and plenty, but they didn't seem to drown out the starlight that glimmered from the dark blue midnight above. As the two kept parkouring, their breaths did not seem like they were ever going to waver into panting. The partners the approach the side of a tall building, but instead of slowing down, Adrian went into full speed. As he was about to make contact with the brick wall, the sole of his left foot met the wall first. The young boy then grits his boots into the wall and scaled up with his all of his limbs, scrambling like a squirrel. After reaching the top, Adrian leans over the ledge to extend his arm to Baxter. The young cat burglar also scaled up the wall, taking Adrian's hand at the last second and let himself get pulled up over the ledge and onto the rooftop grounds.

"This is the place, innit?" Baxter mumbled while he got up on his hands and knees, "The Dreadful Estate."

"Dreadful?" Adrian questioned. "That sounds familiar."

"Boy, you should go outdoors more often," Baxter scolded. "The Dreadful Estate, home of Viscount Charley Dreadful. But anyways, we oughta get tons of paper here in the Viscount's turf."

"But if it's a viscount, he should have guards around the area," Adrian pointed out.

Baxter nods along and scampers over to a glass dome on the rooftop. He looks through and finds the interior of the estate, made of lavished designs, marble, wood, velvet carpet, and other things that would make a fine, rich home.

"Now remember, this is your second swipe job, aye?" Baxter asked.

Adrian nodded.

"Did you's do good for your first time?"

Adrian nodded.

Baxter sighed. "Keep noddin' like that an' you'll bore me out. Whatever."

The cat burglar unsheathed a claw from his finger and traced the sharpened tip along the glass in a circle, while he took out a small plunger and pressed it onto the glass, to prevent the circle of glass from falling into the building. Adrian waited for Baxter to finish the hole in the glass, which was big enough for an oil drum to slip through.

"You've got the rope, squirt?" Baxter asked as he was about to step into his entrance.

"Yes," Adrian squeaked, revealing a roll of thick, strong rope from his black cloak.

"Aight, mate. Tie it to something and leave it through the hole so we can escape the same way," his partner instructed.

Adrian blinked and followed after his cat partner's orders. He finds a smoke vent that seemed pretty sturdy, and made a fine, tough knot around it, one that looks like a cute bow. He tossed the other end of the rope to Baxter, and he let all of the rope fall through the hole.

"Well," Baxter summed up. He gestured into the entrance in the glass. "Ladies first."

"I wonder if I look good in a dress," Adrian wondered out loud to himself as he grabbed hold of the rope and descended down into the estate.

"Guys aren't supposed to be in dresses…" Baxter made a weirded out expression.

"Well you will never know," Adrian shrugged as he descended into the darkness of the estate.

Hand by hand, Adrian climbed down the thick rope, and settled quietly on the ground, while Baxter only went half-the-way down the cord and fell, landing gracefully on all fours with a silent thud.

"So what's our mark?" Adrian asked.

"It's a cane of some sort," Baxter started to explain, "It's black with a white skull on top."

The words caught Adrian off guard.

"Is that really worth a bunch of pounds and coins?" Adrian asks.

"If that's what the big boss wants, that's what he gets, squirt. It's called the Scepter of Dreams. Rumors say that it shows ones' true ambitions or future." Baxter wiggled his paw fingers around while making an _ooohing_ sound.

"Where is it then?" Adrian questioned.

"That's why the boss ordered you to go. You've the knack to find strange things in yer wigglers. Remember that one job where ye had to find that golden spyglass?"

"There _was_ something strange about it. It felt like some energy pierced down to the bone when I held it," Adrian recalled.

"Well that's the same case here," Baxter said. "I've got this nose, and you's got your quirks of finding stuff. I think it's magic stuff."

"Magic, huh?"

In his room, Adrian had hidden tons of books, relating to math, science, and engineering. Out of all those, he had only one book on magic, which only fueled his curiosity to know more about the subject. The idea that the strange items he would occasionally find were actually magical, floated around in his mind.

"Well we don't have forever," Baxter settled. "We should split up. Meet back here when it's O' three. That's the deadline."

Adrian's sky blue eyes kept glancing around the manor. They were on an indoor balcony of a large, vast hall, with a glass dome above. This was a place in the mansion that could hold a fancy ball. Baxter decided to explore the first floor, while Adrian stayed in the second floor. His steps were silent, and only the moon could illuminate the way. In a matter of time, he found himself in a black corridor, and Adrian had his hands flat against a wall, navigating himself in the darkness. He searched every room connected to the corridor. None of them had anything of interest; bedrooms, study rooms, so and so. Adrian kept sneaking around until his hands came to twist at a knob of a locked door.

_This could be it_, Adrian thought.

The young thief felt around the door way, feeling for something that could make a sign that indicated what kind of room was behind this door. His fingers came around something smooth and rectangular, and so he ran his finger across the words that were engraved into the sign.

_The Gallery_, Adrian read with his fingers.

This was it. This could be the place. Adrian's fingers slid into his leather arm bracers, slipping out a pair of lockpicks. With a careful ear, and precise fingers, Adrian poked into the doorknob, and began raking.

_Click. Click. Clack._

"Set the tumblers…" Adrian whispered to himself.

Next, his hand went for his torsion pick that was held by his waist, but suddenly stopped as he heard footsteps. Down the corridor, Adrian took sight of multiple candles.

"Bullocks… There's no getting out…" Adrian whispered to himself.

The figure that was approaching him was petite and small, a child, like Adrian was. Perhaps he could act around this predicament, so Adrian took off his mask and hood, and acted natural. The child came closer, and the light of the candelabra revealed its wielder to be a girl in her night wear. She had black hair and caramel eyes. She and Adrian saw each other's faces, clear as day, and simply blinked at each other. The girl seemed like she was nine years of age, a year younger than Adrian.

"Oh… Um, hello," Adrian started.

"Hello!" the girl piped.

"Shh~ You don't want to wake the others, don't you?" Adrian stammered.

"But no one else is on this floor, silly."

The girl giggles.

"I'm sorry for being up, but I've got to use the restroom, and I'm scared," she said.

"Of the dark?" Adrian assumed.

The girl nodded.

"Can you escort me?" the girl asked.

Adrian was surprised he wasn't found out yet, with his thieves' garb and all.

"Uh, well… I'm a new, temporary servant here. I don't know my way around the manor yet," Adrian says softly with a nervous grin.

"I know the way!" the girl smiled. "Follow!"

She started to skip down the corridor, and Adrian hesitantly jogged after her. The two comes up to a door, and she slips into the restroom, while Adrian stood by, awkwardly waiting. After a toilet flush, and the sound of a sink running, the girl came out of the restroom with the candle holder in hand.

"Thank you, mister shorty," the girl grinned blatantly.

"Sh-Short?" Adrian repeated.

"What's your name, mister?"

"My name is…" He paused for a bit, unsure how to respond. "My name is Adrian."

"Oh? My name is Penny Dreadful," the girl says chipperly. "I'm gonna be the next cutest viscountess!"

Penny's words suddenly halt, and she make raises her brow towards Adrian, observing him closely, while Adrian's expression tightened up.

_Did she find me out?_ he thought.

"Wait, your name is Adrian? Are you sure?" She raised her brow. "You look like a girl, and you have strange, white hair!"

Instead of sighing of relief, Adrian sighed in annoyance.

_Uggghhh, again with this confusing boy and girl stuff_, Adrian complained in his mind. _But anyways, if this keeps going on, somebody might find us and I'll be found out._

Adrian went into thought for a moment then made a friendly face.

"Well now, Miss Penny. It would be best if you head back to your bedroom. Um…"

He tried to think up of something to say.

"They say a lady must be well-rested so her skin is smooth and tender like a baby's."

Penny tilted her head, but nodded along cheerfully. "Alright then, Mister Shorty. And I'm not a little kid you know."

"Short…" Adrian repeated to himself.

He shook the thought off and gestured down the hall for Penny to go ahead. Adrian's other hand hovered towards her, beckoning to hold the candlestick holder for the young heir of the Dreadful family. With that, Penny was escorted back to her bedroom. After she settled back in her bed, the young Penny looked back to Adrian with a request.

"Mister Shorty, c-can you stay there until I sleep?" Penny wished.

Adrian blinked and shook his head. "I'm sorry, miss, truly. I've other matters to attend to."

Penny pouted. "Please?"

Adrian looks to the side as he sighed. "I suppose."

The young thief, now a young servant, took out a pocket watch from his leather armor corset and glanced at it.

_It's one O' clock. I have two hours,_ Adrian discussed with himself.

Time passed. Adrian didn't know how much, and didn't care to check his watch. But it felt like five, long minutes. By then, Penny had fallen asleep, and Adrian carefully creaked open the door out of the room.

"Rest well, young lady," Adrian whispered with a finger up to his lips.

His breath blew out the flames of the candles in one huff, set the silver candelabra to the side on a drawer, and slipped out the door. Adrian took a moment to recall which room was the Gallery. He took off in a sneaky prowl down the hall but suddenly made a U-turn for the other direction.

"Nonono, it was that way," he told himself.

Once he reached the door, the torsion and rake picks slipped out of this arm bracers and waist belt and into his hands, to continue unlocking the stubborn, never-budging entrance of the Gallery. It took about ten minutes, but the door finally creaked open to reveal a room full of display cases and aisles of red carpet. Nothing was being displayed as a feature, so Adrian sighed and thoroughly browsed through every display case, glancing through the glass to find the skull-topped cane. His fingers traced along the smooth, mahogany wood of the boxy display cases, trying to feel for a tingly reaction or an ethereal grasp upon his fingers. Adrian asked himself if the strange items he kept find were really magic after all. The young thief's fingers itched to open the cases and slip in everything he could loot into his sack, but knowing that the daughter of the Dreadful family had already seen him, he dared not to gamble the risks, and focused on the main objective instead. After half an hour, for what seemed like a waste of time, Adrian sighed and stood up with disappointment. He hung his head back and looked to the ceiling, where there was a glass opening to let in a moonbeam. Adrian's ice blue eyes traced the moonbeam back down to the Gallery room. The moon was shining upon one single display case. Oddly enough, Adrian felt a strange aura emanate from it. His steps were of whispers, and each step took him closer to the case.

"Finally," Adrian breathed in with a twitch of a wicked smile. "This, 'Scepter of Dreams.'"

His white-gloved fingers slipped into the case, and nabbed at the skull-topped scepter. Right when the cloth of the linen glove touched the objective, magic surged from it, through the threads & fibers of the glove, and coursed into Adrian's mind. Instantaneously, the young boy was shown flashes of events. There he was, Adrian, as a grown man, in a tailed coat, top hat, ornate walking cane in hand, and a silver-gemmed ring around his finger. Another flash was of Marleybone's horizon, with the skies turned orange and crimson. There were no stars or night sky. Smoke billowed from the buildings and chaos was everywhere. Another flash showed an image of Adrian, sitting upon a throne with crossed legs, with an elegant cape, and crown. But under the throne, was a pile of dead bodies; dogs, cats, Margherita Vizzini, Brownley the butler, the servants of the Kensington mansion, his mother; a lioness, and even his father, Earl Kensington. Adrian's vision returned to the present, and he couldn't believe his visions.

"What? No… Why was everyone dead?"

His head twisted around frantically to take in his surroundings. Adrian was lying back up against a drawer, with the skull scepter in hand. His eyes showed confusion and a sense of being deeply disturbed.

"Tell me more."

The cane shook in his unstable hands, and his fingers grabbed tightly around it and his own palms.

"Tell me."

Yellow and blue magic flowed out from the cane like a fluid, and straightened out chaotically like electricity, and surged through his arms and tapped into his mind once again. This time, there were flashes of a giant tree, with face as well, surrounded by lots of other trees with faces, and buildings of different colors. Another flash showed four silhouettes, walking through a landscape of a desert, which then changed to the streets of Marleybone, then a village of bamboo, and then a torn empire of lava, purple clouds, and ruins. Immediately after, the visions vanished and Adrian found himself back in the dark room of the Gallery. He hadn't noticed, but Adrian's breath was heavy and in brief puffs. His hands were still around the skull-topped cane, but he couldn't move any other muscles.

"What did that mean…" he wondered.

Suddenly, the sound of a door creaking open reached Adrian's ears, and footsteps as well.

_Oh no... Am I going to be caught?"_

The person came closer, and Adrian was too weak to even stand. Closer. Closer. The footsteps stopped, but Adrian didn't even care to look up to the person by him. If he was caught, then he is caught. There's nothing to do about it. But suddenly a wave of relief passed over him as he heard a familiar voice.

"Oi, whaddayer doing here? It's half past three already," Baxter hissed.

"Oh… Baxter," Adrian sighed.

Baxter clicked his tongue. "It's three 'an fifteen, squirt. You're fifteen minutes late! What were you doing?"

"I… well… I found the thing." Adrian held the skull-topped cane to Baxter. "It gave me weird dreams."

"Really?" Baxter seemed really interested now. "It _is _magical. What did you see?"

"I… I don't want say. I don't even want to remember it. I don't want to be the earl."

"Huh?" Baxter raised a brow. "What's that about being an earl?"

"O-Oh… Nothing."

Adrian stopped himself. Baxter and his fellow thieves didn't know who Adrian really was, and he didn't want to reveal his identity of nobility to Baxter. Also, he felt like he was deeply disturbed by his visions. Some visions he couldn't understand, but others he feared it's foretelling. His eyes couldn't keep normal, as they were wide as an owl's.

"Oi…" Baxter turned worried, not only from fear of guards around the manor, but also for Adrian. "C'mon, now. Let's just get outta here before people start wakin' up."

"Y-Yeah…" Adrian stammered.

* * *

><p><strong>The next day, in the late morning,<strong> the young Adrian Kensington was still asleep, exhausted from last night's heist. The drapes of the windows were already separated to the sides to let in the light.

In Marleybone, the daytime could only get as light as late dawn. The sun was small as the moon in the sky, and the stars were still visible. Most of a Marleybonian day is shrouded in the dark of night and light of the stars. It was quite common for the sun to be out with the moon as well.

Adrian normally would wake himself buup; hence, none of the servants would come to wake him up at eight o' clock, which would explain this next scene, where a dog maidservant suddenly came into the room.

"Young lord!" the maidservant looked around, only to sigh at Adrian, who was still asleep. "I thought you'd be awake by now."

She came over and flipped his blankets away.

"Up now! Rise and shine! Dress up in your fanciest outfit. The master needs you in the Atrium! Quickly, quickly."

The Atrium is a part of the Kensington mansion where the main entrance is. It was mostly like a ballroom.

"Wh-What?" Adrian rubbed his eyes. "Is there a ball? I don't want to go to a ball."

"Just do so quickly," the maidservant snapped.

"Fine fine fine."

After rushing around his bedroom, Adrian came out with his clothes and made quickly for the Atrium. When he arrived, the young 10-year-old Adrian was dressed in a double-breasted three-piece suit with the tails out like a frilly dress. He had smart breeches and suspenders that strapped his socks up his legs, along with low-heeled boots, and a fancy, small top hat with a delicate bow and bouquet of flowers.

Out of breath as Adrian was from rushing to the Atrium, he kept a relaxed composure as the boy came from the upper balcony and down to the main floor, coming up next to his parents; Earl Kensington and his wife, Countess Heather Kensington. She was a lioness with fine, long, wavy hair and a dress that finely wove in Marleybonian and Zafarian features, while Earl Kensington wore his usual dapper coat and top hat, and his furry tail was perked up.

"Ah, Adrian. Here you are," the earl said. "You've slept a lot."

Adrian looked up to his father. Every time he saw his parents, Adrian wondered how he had turned out as a human, while his father was a husky and Border collie mix of a dog, and his mother was a lioness from Zafaria.

"Why did you call me here, father?" Adrian asked, trying to force an innocent face.

"You are here to meet a family of humans, friend to the Kensingtons, as well as a special person," his Earl Kensington answered.

"Special person?" Adrian questioned.

"Well as a matter of fact, there they are," his mother spoke up. "Adrian, look as elegant as ever."

"Y-Yes mother," he stammered.

Around the room, the servants and maidservants gathered by the walls, and Brownley, the labrador butler stood by the Kensingtons, along with Marie the maidservant and another male servant. They all looked forward to the entrance of the mansion, and the large doors creaked open. A group of five humans came in; one finely dressed man with a faded beard, his supposed wife, their butler, an adolescent boy, and a familiar young girl.

"Ah! Earl Kensington! It is good to see you!" the man says.

"As it is to see you, Viscount Dreadful," Ebenezer Kensington replies.

Adrian's eyes widened. "Dreadful?"

"Oh?" Adrian's mother, Heather Kensington, raised a brow. "Have you already met them?"

"N-No, I... I just heard about them," Adrian stammered.

"Oh, I see," his mother shrugged, and she went forward with her husband to greet the Dreadful family and household.

"Ah, Heather! It has been too long!" the Viscountess of Dreadful squealed and she hugged onto the Viscountess of Kensington.

"Oho! You're so rough, Elizabeth!" Heather giggled back.

Ebenezer Kensington approached Viscount Dreadful with slow but noble steps, as the Viscount smirked. They both bowed to each other in greeting.

"Oh come on, Ebenezer. You're too cold! You can't say a good hello to your friend, Charley?" Mister Dreadful smiled.

"You know that is not how I carry myself, Dreadful," Mister Kensington said plainly.

"Not to mention, how can I be so relaxed when you also hold another title; the _Warden of Souls_," Mister Kensington added coldly. His words were only audible between him and Mister Dreadful.

Mister Charley Dreadful simply turned his smile into a smirk.

"Well we Dreadfuls also have our line of work, as of you too, Kensington. Or should I say; the _Nobleman of the Underworld_…"

Earl Kensington gripped onto his gem-topped walking stick, and Viscount Dreadful tipped down his top hat, rubbing the crown of his hat between his thumb and index finger.

Dreadful continued to speak; "My work may delve into another world, but I'm merely cleaning up after your dirty work."

The Viscount and Earl traded icy glares, but Viscount Dreadful decided to drop the matter, and then looked over Mister Kensington's shoulder.

"Is that your son, Ebenezer?" he asked.

Mister Kensington's eyes narrowed at the sound of his first name. "Yes, that is my son.

Adrian came forward in front of Mister Dreadful.

"Hello, viscount. My name is Adrian," he forced himself to say, though he was a bit shy.

"Well that is certainly a phenomenon. From the chemistry of a lioness and a dog, comes a human," Mister Dreadful comments.

"Indeed," Mister Kensington said sternly.

Adrian's eye twitched and he let out a silent growl at his father.

After sensing the tense aura, Earl Kensington simply sighed. "I think we should get to the main point of why we arranged this meeting?"

Viscount Dreadful's smile returned. "Of course. Daughter, dear, please come here."

The familiar girl from before came to her father side. Of course, it was none other than Penny Dreadful, with her black, loosely curly hair, and caramel brown eyes. Once she took sight of Adrian, she pointed towards him.

"It's the shorty!" Penny exclaimed.

Everyone in the room looked towards Penny.

"Daughter dear, you already have met Ebenezer's son?" Mister Dreadful asked, looking confused.

Adrian's eye widened and he let out a small hiss, making a face to tell Penny to be quiet, and she seemed to understand.

"A-Ah, no," Penny stammered. "I-I dreamed about someone once, with... with that white hair of his."

"Who is she, father?" Adrian asked innocently.

Mister Kensington and Dreadful glanced at each other, both confused, but Viscount Dreadful speaks up.

"This adorable, loving, cute, beautiful-"

"Dreadful…" Mister Kensington snapped.

"O-Oh, right," Mister Dreadful chuckled. "This is my daughter, Penny Amelia Dreadful."

Earl Kensington stepped up, beckoning to his son.

"And this is my son," the earl introduced to Penny. "Adrian Faulkner Kensington. From now on, he will be your fiancé."

Adrian and Penny then stared at each other for a few seconds.

"H-HE'S GOING TO BE MY FIANCE?" Penny exclaimed.

"What's a fiancé?" Adrian questioned naively.

"I'M GOING TO BE MARRIED TO THE SHORTY?"

"Marry? Oh is that what it means?"

Penny's face goes up in a blush. "I'm gonna marry him! Ooooh!"

Adrian simply blinked. "What does marry mean?"

"What? You don't know what marry means? What are you, dumb?" Penny scolded.

"Not as dumb as you~" Adrian said back with a smirk.

"Gosh, what a _smart_ man," Penny taunted. "At least you know how to dress well. That outfit is far too cute."

Earl Kensington's brow furrowed. "Adrian, that is no way to talk to a lady-"

"Ah, what are you talking on about, Ebenezer?" Mister Dreadful laughed. "Look at them; they're already the best of friends!"

Mister Kensington rolled his eyes. "I expected no less eccentricity from a wizard, especially one who is wedded to another wizard."

Adrian's eyes lit up. "Wizards?"

"Yeah!" Penny spoke up. "My papa and mom are wizards! Like from Wizard City!"

"Aha, yes! Ebenezer! You should enroll your son in Ravenwood Academy of Magical Arts!" Mister Dreadful suggested.

"Now, Dreadful. I don't think any of us Kensingtons have any magical abilities," Mister Kensington grumbled.

"Ah, I see," Mister Dreadful smirked.

Adrian wasn't sure about his father's statement. He had always felt weird stuff when holding one of the many books in his toychest. Almost all of those books are about science and engineering, but one particular book was about the study of magical arts, and how wizards summoned amazing creatures to their aid. Adrian was pretty sure the book had some magical quirk to it. Adrian shook off the thought and looked around the Atrium. Penny was up in smiles. Mister Dreadful was laughing by Mister Kensington, who kept to his stern nature. The wives of the viscount and earl continued to mingle and giggle amongst their selves, and Brownley the butler met up with the butler of the Dreadful household, who was dressed in black trousers, black waistcoat, and a white dress shirt underneath. They bowed to each other like fine gentlemen, then immediately went into friendly conversation like they were best friends.

"Say, say, Adrian!" Penny took his hand. "You wanna meet my brother?"

Adrian attempted to reply, but he was dragged along anyways. Penny led him up to a boy who looked twelve or thirteen years of age. He had blond hair, but had the same caramel brown eyes as Penny.

"So you're the bloke who's going to marry my younger sister?" he asked with cautious, inspectous eyes.

Penny blindly punched her brother up the chin, with an embarrassed blush. "Daniel! Don't be so rude!"

Adrian kind of jumped at Penny's unintentional show of strength, and watched Daniel hold his face in pain.

"Wait hold on. Nobody answered my question. What does marrying mean?" Adrian asked.

"Well, mate," Daniel Dreadful started to speak as he rubbed his slightly bruised face. "It's when a gentleman and a lady comes together in love, and be with each other in a relationship for the rest of their life."

"Love?" Adrian asked, not quite grasping the concept, while Penny kept fiddling around with the top hat on Adrian's head, making sure it was positioned nicely.

"You know," Daniel chuckled. "If I didn't know you two hadn't met before, I'd say you and Penny are best of friends."

"Well that's because I was excited to see who my future husband is," Penny said with her lips puckered out cutely.

"I've never had a friend before…" Adrian spoke up.

Penny made a surprised expression, but then smiled, grasping onto Adrian's shoulders a bit too hard.

"Don't worry! I'm gonna be your first friend! Oh, and Daniel as well!"

"O-Ow…" Adrian winced.

"Wh-What? I'm not going to be friends with him…" Daniel started to say.

He then spun around with his hands together, making a passionate scene dressed in cascading rose petals.

"I will not be friends with the person that'll steal my little sister's heart and take her away!" Daniel cried in a strong voice, holding the back of his hand to his forehead like this was an opera.

Once again, a fist flew up towards Daniel's chin and he soared away, crashing into a pillar.

"Aaaaiiieeee! Daniel, don't embarrass me in front of Adrian!" Penny whined, not exactly realizing that she launched his brother across the room with a single punch.

"Sc-Scary…" Adrian said under his breath, with a bead of sweat down his cheek.

The young, silver-haired noble then looked back to Earl Kensington and Viscount Dreadful.

"Your daughter is… She is quite… strong?" Mister Kensington stammered.

"Oho! That she is," Mister Dreadful chuckled.

The viscount then tries to whisper to her daughter, who was like fifteen feet away from him, making Mister Dreadful audible to everyone in the room.

"Penny! You have to be more lady-like!" Mister Dreadful hissed.

"Yes, daddy!" Penny chanted back to her father with a salute.

Though they both didn't like each other, Adrian and his father both shared the same expression, that made them want to inch away slowly from the Dreadfuls and their unusualness. After a while of conversations, the Dreadfuls and Kensingtons then moved on to have lunch together in the Garden Conservatory. Afterwards, all of them went their separate ways throughout the manor in their free time. The wives of the Kensington and Dreadful houses enjoyed tea. The Earl and Viscount settled down in the poolroom to discuss trading and finances. Adrian showed Penny and Daniel around the manor by Penny's request. Together, the three ventured through the gardens, kitchens, hallways, and other areas that were ornate and elegant. In the evening, a ball was then held in the Ballroom, where other nobles came to the Kensington Manor to attend. Of course, Adrian and Penny were dressed differently for the occasion. Penny wore an elegant corseted, shoulder-showing light caramel dress that matched her dark caramel eyes. Though he disliked dressing up, Adrian knew his fashion well. He chose a fancy, soldier's uniform. It was dressed in navy and light blue, with golden tassels, ropes, trimmings, and frills on the breast, in contrast to the regular wear of Marleybone's redcoats. Along with his formal uniform, an elegant saber was sheathed by his waist.

At the sight of Adrian, Penny Dreadful squealed and poked at her new fiancé.

"Adrian! You look so cute!"

The silver-haired boy blinked at the compliment, not knowing what she meant by "cute."

"L-Like squirrels?" Adrian stammered.

"Uh, well…" Penny dropped her bubbliness in went into thought.

From her experience, she knew Adrian wasn't exactly that knowledgeable socially, but Penny had already accepted his flaws-for he was her fiancé-and worked around it.

"Let's just say you look really good!" Penny explained. "And I want to hug you for it!"

"Hug?" Adrian glanced down at his hands, then back to Penny, in her beautiful dress. "I've never been hugged before."

A familiar voice sounded. "Not even from your ma?"

Daniel Dreadful came into the scene, clothed in a sharp double breasted suit, with his blonde hair swept back into his top hat and caramel eyes sharpened to the finest shine.

"My mother?" Adrian repeated. "She…"

Adrian stopped himself from ruining the happy environment.

"Perhaps when I was a baby. Since then, no," he says.

"I see," Daniel settled.

Daniel then turned his eyes to his younger sister.

"And what was that about hugging Adrian?" he asked.

Penny pouted and put her hands on her hips, budging in front of Adrian to get in Daniel's face.

"What? I can't hug the person I've waited months and months to meet?" she asked accusingly.

"Not on my watch," Daniel snapped. Then he went into his passionate, rosen voice. "My dear little sister's heart is as pure as a Yuletide rose!"

Penny frowned even more and grabbed Adrian by the frills on his chest and gave him a full-on glomp. Daniel gasped in horror. It was so thematically done that Adrian question whether if the gasp was real or not. Satisfied with her brother's reaction, Penny grinned and went further, diving in to lock lips with Adrian. Daniel's eyes widened and he fainted. Adrian was also surprised by the kiss, caught off guard by not really knowing what to do. Penny's arms tightened around Adrian's neck as her eyelids softly closed into the kiss. After a while, she finally let go and shot a smug smirk at her brother, Daniel.

"See? I've even gotten my first kiss! Before you!"

Adrian looked around awkwardly, and just smiled. Daniel shot daggers at Adrian, but he just threw himself on the floor.

"My little Yuletide rose is stained!" Daniel cried.

"Is he going to be okay?" Adrian asked.

"Oh he's just overprotective," Penny reassured him.

The misses; Heather Kensington and Elizabeth Dreadful, approached the scene with glasses of wine in their hands. As soon as Misses Dreadful took sight of her son, Daniel, pounding his fist on the ground in mourning, Misses Dreadful simply scolded him.

"Son, do not dirty your clothes! Oh and daughter, the ballroom is not a place to display love."

With that, she continued to walk alongside Misses Kensington and stepped over Daniel's back like he was a stray rock.

"Ack!" Daniel wheezed.

Penny giggled and laid the side of her head on Adrian's chest, but since she was barely taller than Adrian, her head ended up on his chin.

"Hey Adrian, aren't we going to dance?" Penny asked.

"O-Oh, of course," Adrian stammered.

The young child of Kensington has had dancing lessons before. Adrian had always practiced dancing with his tutor, and now he was put to the test. With that, Adrian tried to recall the etiquettes of a ballroom dance. He stepped back. With his right hand on his sword sheathe, and the left hand forward across his chest, Adrian bowed politely, as Penny lifted her dress and curtsied back.

"I thought you were supposed to bow with your right hand forward, _dear_," Penny commented.

"I say to bow with the most used hand is more respectful," Adrian smiled back.

The two met hands and cascaded to the dance floor.

"You're left handed?" Penny asked. "No wonder why you're dumb."

"Yes, I'm left handed. No, I am not dumb. I'm just not let out of my room very often," Adrian said back softly.

"Why not?" Penny asked.

Adrian's eyes slowly drifted down. "My father isn't exactly proud of who I am."

"That you're not a dog like him?"

Adrian nodded.

"What about your mother?"

"She couldn't care any less about me…"

Adrian looked up and forced himself to not get sentimental.

"Let's just dance, alright?"

Penny looked glad to do so, but then spoke up, "You do know how to dance right?"

Adrian raised a brow. "Do you?"

"A cute, young lady naturally should know how to do such things," Penny smirked.

Having not noticed before, the two pick up the fine melody of violins, violas, double basses, and even tympanis, all belonging to a band of finely dressed dog gentlemen and ladies.

"You know, to be honest, I don't really like ballroom dancing," Penny admitted.

Her white, pearled high heels follow the lead of Adrian's shined oxford boots in a simple, slow, yet graceful waltz. One set of their hands were lifted. Adrian's hand slid along her back, while Penny let hers wrap behind his neck.

"I'm not the type to do this either, but you know; whatever the lady wishes," Adrian whispered back.

"It's strange dancing with you," Penny giggled. "I'm barely taller than you."

"Yeah. You might want to reconsider of how you keep calling me 'Shorty', dear."

"Well you also have that unusually high voice," Penny brought up.

Adrian made his voice dull and monotone, but lower, into an average boy's pitch range.

"You mean like this?" Adrian questioned boringly.

"You are an idiot," Penny smiled.

As the music grew into a tense bridge of notes, Adrian led his partner in a series of sharp slides and glides, and then they return to their original positions on the dance floor in a slow spin.

"So back then," Penny started. "What were you doing in my house? I know now you aren't a servant."

The question threw Adrian off, but he was careful to not misstep on Penny's foot, or vice-versa. He racked to think up of an excuse, not wanting to reveal his nighttime hobby as a thief.

"I… You remember when I told you that I'm not let out of my room often?" Adrian asked.

Penny nodded, intent on hearing his story.

"That is because my father isn't exactly fond of letting my existence be known to society, and so I am locked up in my bedroom every day, only to come out for my private tutors or meals."

Penny's eyes widened at his words, but she didn't let that from stopping the waltz.

Adrian continued to explain, "So at night, don't you dare tell anyone, I decided to sneak outside and out to the rooftops of Marleybone."

"But that's dangerous," Penny gasped quietly. "Bandits and thieves might catch you! You might've fallen from the rooftops and end up like a pancake on the streets of Regent Square!"

Adrian lets a small chuckle escape from his lips. "Perhaps. And so I always leapt from rooftop to rooftop, taking sight of the stars and moon above. It t'was always beautiful."

"You're starting to sound like my father," Penny comments. "He always read bedtime stories in that way.

"Heheh, am I? Anyways, I accidently came to your mansion, mistaking yours for my estate."

"How did you manage to make that mistake?" Penny asked. "Kensington Park and Chelsea Court are far away."

"Well I don't know the full lengths of Marleybone yet, Penny," Adrian grinned.

"And you weren't afraid to fall?"

"Well most gaps between buildings are small enough to jump across."

Penny makes a disgusted sound. "Seems scary to me."

"Perhaps I could take you on a midnight run," Adrian suggested.

"Hehe, no thanks," Penny smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Three years had passed after those events.<strong> Adrian was now thirteen years of age. He only able to meet Penny every few months. Every other day, it was him locked in his bedroom as usual. Almost every night, Adrian slipped out of his mansion and into the darkness, meeting up with his partner; Baxter, and going on thieving runs and heists for the fun of it. It was all great for Adrian, but as time passed, his dislike for his father and mother grew stronger. He only existed to exist within the Kensington mansion, locked within his room. Every day, during those three years, Adrian planned of how he was going to go out to the outside world, where everyone was awake, and not sleeping. However, one night; Adrian decided to drop down to the streets of Marleybone. In the time where everyone slept, the streets were empty and the stores were closed. His oxford boots grinded quietly on the cobblestone streets of Hyde Park. The wind blew, uncovering Adrian of his black hood, revealing his snow white hair. It would've been a cold night, but Adrian wore his thief garments; leather armor and a black cloak. Adrian put his hood back on and continued on. The food stalls were empty and the street lamps shined, but not enough to light the whole lengths of the streets. Around him were brick buildings and alleys. The sound of the flying balloon cars rung from above, and echoed beeps came from the MB Model cars on the big streets. It was all ambiences on this empty street. Adrian kept walking aimlessly, and then went around a corner; into an alley. His steps took him by a fire in a barrel. Around the barrel, was a group of cats, perhaps a family? Their paws were raised around the fire, and the only things covering them in this cold night were rags and tattered clothing. They were all homeless so it seemed to Adrian, and stuck in poverty. Three cats were men, around the age of thirty. One was a she-cat, and two were tom kits, at the age of six or seven. Adrian slowly approached them and the cats looked cautiously up to him.

"What're you doin' here, thief?" one of the three male cats grumbled.

"I don't suppose you're one of those O'Learys," another one grunted.

Adrian stayed quiet, and then shook his head. "Have you folks any food?"

"The thief is a she-cat!" one of the kits said.

"No, I am still a male," Adrian chuckled.

"Billy, you silly mousebrain. He's too tall for she-cat," the other kit snarked.

"But he sounds like a girl!" the kit spat back.

"What're you doing here, thief? Planning to steal our food?" One of the three tomcats grumbled.

"In case you're wondering, no. We don't have any food," another tom growled.

With his question answered, Adrian mused, then walked away, and jumped up the walls of the buildings. A few minutes later, Adrian came back, with a green apple in hand. Every cat around the fire in the barrel gazed at the apple. Adrian smirked under his mask and tossed the apple into one of the tomcat's paws. The apple bounced around in the cat's paws until he finally managed to catch it.

"Th-Thank you, thief…" he stammered.

Without hesitation, the cat handed the apple to the she-cat, but the lady shook her head, and so the tom-cat handed the apple to the kits, but not before bringing up a claw from his finger to split the apple in half.

"That won't be necessary," Adrian spoke up. "You were willing to give up the apple for the lady and children, like a chivalrous gentleman."

Adrian took out a sack from under his cloak and gave green and red apples to everyone.

"H-Hey! Look at this! There's two apples for everyone!" one of the three adult tomcats rasped.

Another one of them spoke up, "Thank you, sir!"

"Don't be hasty to gobble them up, now," Adrian smirked, and he sat down on the cardboard, next to the two cat children.

"O-Of course," the tomcat said.

Everyone started to eat one of their apples, making sounds like they were enjoying a big feast. Adrian smiled at them, but his mask hid his grin.

"Wh-Who are you?" the adult she-cat asked.

Adrian glanced at her, and then returned to warming his hands at the barrel fire. He then took off his mask, then his hood, revealing his face and flowing, white hair.

"It's a human!" one of the kits pointed out.

"It _is_ a guy, Billy!" the other kit exclaimed.

"What's a human like you doing here? I thought all of them had nice homes here on Marleybone," the she-cat wondered.

His eyes blinked at her question, and Adrian decided to ignore it, resting his back on the brick walls of the alley.

"Why's a human like you goin' around stealing?" one of the three grown tomcats asked.

The young thief's ice blue eyes turned to the tom.

"I like to have fun. I get bored easily," Adrian replied.

"That's the same cloak as those O'Learys," the tom pointed out. "You workin' with those hooligans?"

"Well not all of them are bad people," Adrian admitted. "Some of those cats were homeless to begin with, and had to steal their way through life. Not all are swindling backstabbers."

"Yet most of them are. Why would you even teem with them?"

"I don't associate with the upper hierarchies of the O'Learys."

The grown tom looked around, confused. "Associate? Hierarchies? "

One of the other toms spoke up. "Associate means ta… to…"

"To join or connect with another individual or group in a way?" Adrian finished.

"Y-Yeah! What he said! I didn't know how to put it into words," the tom said.

"Tell me, did you guys have any form of education?" Adrian asked.

The cats exchanged looks, and then shook their heads miserably.

"I see this is one part of the real world," Adrian mused.

Soon, the sound of hurrying footsteps echoed throughout the alley. Adrian gets up on his feet and looks farther into the alley. His fingers pulled his mask up above his nose and his hood over his head.

"Where you goin'?" one of the kits asked, the one named Billy.

"Ah, well…" Adrian gave everybody an innocent smile. "It seems the police managed to find traces of me."

"Oi kid, that's some dangerous work there," one of the tomcats said, while munching an apple.

"Well in this world, either you take, or be taken from," Adrian said.

The young thief started to take a few steps away.

"I've already had most of my life taken away from me," he muttered to himself. "I suppose I'll be taking those years back."

Adrian then jogged out onto the street. The sound of whistles and barking of the constables echoed throughout the alley. Adrian let out a mocking laugh and danced around like a fool in the middle of the road. As soon as the constables almost had the thief in their reach, Adrian leapt up and stepped lightly through the group of police, making each of his steps on their shoulders, and finally ran off, laughing.

Having learned about the homeless cats around Marleybone, Adrian made it his duty to provide them with food. He would even slip in some time to teach makeshift literacy classes and give toys to the children. Where did he find all this food and other things? Why, as a thief, he stole them of course, from the nobles and rich dogs of Marleybone. He kept doing this about every night, stealing food and handing them out to the poor, mostly around Kensington Park and Chelsea Court. Adrian was extra careful not to get caught, but soon, rumors spread around Marleybone about the stealer who stole for the poor. For that, Adrian earned his alternate identity as the Silver Thief, the good thief that stood from the O'Learys. However, Adrian would still do jobs for the O'Learys, but that was beside the point.

Though he enjoyed this line of work, Adrian's life as a nobleman still held on in the daytime hours. Every day, it would be the boy locked up in his bedroom, left to walk around, read, study, or play with the toys he had already grown out of. Next, it would be his lessons, be it fencing, or dancing, violin, or horseriding, his meals in between. Adrian continued this way of life, constantly switching between his two lives until he grown tired of it all.

Every night, he would also see through the windows of buildings. Adrian thought he had it bad, but the women and girls had it worse. Through his eyes, he witnessed women and girls who were treated like furniture. Their destinies were to bear children, keep the house, and get married. Through the jobs given to Adrian by the O'Learys, he witnessed auctions that sold people, which really astounded him. Young children, whether it'd be cats, humans, dogs, or even races from other worlds, like elephants or lions. All of it disgusted Adrian. He later learned the true purpose of being the Earl of Kensington, who Adrian's father was, and who his predecessors were. This line of earls all had duties to hunt down and regulate things in Marleybone's impure underground; things that displeased the Queen. Adrian's father has done this in ways that were despicable and unspeakable to the public, just like all the other past earls. This was when Adrian decided he would be different. He wanted to change Marleybone and rid it of the underground, and to do it, he needed power; power that would give Adrian the ability to crush any horrid person who dared oppose him. This power; that would rid the world of any scum that Adrian deemed despicable and sickly to look upon. However, Adrian was limited by his father. And so the child took the money he needed, and ran away to a new place where he could attain this power.

Adrian stepped out of the Spiral Door, covered in magical dust with his fingers wrapped around a ring of keys. He coughed and shook the magical dust off his clothes. The silver-haired boy looked up, only to be blinded by something bright.

"Oh right…" he mumbled. "The sun. There's not much sun in Marleybone."

When the brightness dimmed down, Adrian's eyelids separated little by little, revealing the world around him inch by inch. The sky was a rich hue of blue, something Adrian never seen before. He was in an opening surrounded by walls of buildings, painted light colors, like tan or pink. In front of him, was a drawbridge. Above, streams of water arced above the drawbridge, clothed behind a rainbow.

"Hey, are you lost kid?" a new voice sounded.

Adrian jumped and twisted to spot a pink creature, dressed in robes. He had a snout and a wand in hoof. It was a pig, wizard pig to be exact.

"Is… This is Wysteria, am I correct?" Adrian questioned.

"Yeah, mate. I suppose you _are_ new here," the pig snorted.

The pig walked in front of Adrian, towards the drawbridge.

"Welcome to Pigswick Academy, mate."


End file.
